Loya Mcdonald

Loya Vance McDonald, age 77, passed away peacefully due to natural causes on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.  She was born February 25, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois to Ray Wendall and Ora Haws Vance.  She married Jerry George McDonald in October of 1962 who preceded her in death in 1994.

Loya grew up in Blue Island, Illinois.  She entered high school shortly after her family moved to Provo, Utah.  Growing up, she found her outlet in music.  She expressed herself by the way she played the cello, piano, and organ.  After marrying, she and her husband moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she continued to pursue her passion.  There, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from UNLV.  Loya was an accomplished and extremely talented musician.  She excelled at playing the cello and performed in many orchestras on the Las Vegas Strip.  She participated in both the Las Vegas Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.  Loya was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where she often shared her talents as the ward organist.

Loya is survived by her daughter, Stacey (William) Hill and two sons:  Devin (Beth) McDonald, and Bradley (Amy) McDonald; fourteen grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; four sisters:  Diane Brush, Margaret (Carl) Larson, Cynthia (Claude) Richards, Cozette (Stephen) West and one brother: Lee (Brenda) Vance.  Loya was preceded in death by her son, Brian.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at noon at the Memory Gardens Cemetery, 7251 West Lone Mountain Road, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Family and friends are invited to sign our online guest book at www.moapavalleymortuary.com