Nona McDonnell Flagg

Nona McDonnell Flagg, 98, passed away peacefully in her apartment at Croasdaile Village in Durham, NC, on Friday, November 29, 2024. 

Nona Mae Duke was born on March 12, 1926, and lived with her family on a series of tenant farms outside of Chickamauga, GA, until they moved to Rossville, GA, in 1939. Following graduation from high school, she joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps, which Congress created to alleviate the nursing shortage exacerbated by World War II, and began her nursing training at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, TN. In 1946 she married Dr. William F. McDonnell, Jr. and left nursing training to accompany him as he completed his military service. She completed her nursing training and worked at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA, until 1949, when she and her husband Bill moved to Gulfport, MS, to establish a pediatric practice. Nona was a pioneer in getting schools of nursing to admit married students and to allow them to live off campus. She was married for 46 years to Bill McDonnell until his death in 1992. Nona married Dr. G.B. Flagg in 1995, and was married for 18 years until his death in 2013. She was a long-time resident and active member of the Broadmoor neighborhood in Gulfport until moving to the Croasdaile Village Retirement Community in Durham, NC, in 2015. 

Nona was, first and foremost, a mother to her three children and a surrogate mother to many others who came into her orbit during her lifetime. She was a good neighbor and created community wherever she was. She was an R.N. who loved the art of medicine. Nona was an optimist by nature. She was thankful for her blessings, believed in the goodness of people, never forgot those less fortunate than herself, and firmly believed in regular exercise and good eating habits. She taught kindness, grace, and compassion through example. She started life over for the last time at age 89 when she moved to Croasdaile Village and developed a community of new good friends there. She last sat in the hall visiting with her neighbors two weeks before her death. 

Nona’s experiences on the planet spanned the range from almost complete self-sufficiency on a depression era tenant farm in Appalachia with no electricity or indoor plumbing, and water drawn from a well, to post war America, marvelous medical advances, world travel, the space age, computers, the internet, and globalization. She had quite a journey. 

Nona was an active member of whatever community in which she was involved. She was a den mother for the Cub Scouts, president and member of various school PTAs, an active member of the First United Methodist Church for 60 years, member and past president of the Gulf Coast Medical Alliance, member and past Queen of Merry Maskers Carnival Assn., member of the Gulfport Yacht Club, Great Southern Golf Club, Great Southern Club, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Fine Arts Club, Gulfport Garden Club, and Gulf Coast Symphony. She delivered meals for Feed my Sheep. 

Nona was preceded in death by her husband and father of their children, Dr. William F. McDonnell, Jr.; husband, Dr. Gettis Broadwell Flagg; parents, Fred Thomas Judson Duke and Noni Earmon Bell Duke; brothers, Ralph Ennis Duke, James Duke, and Fred Thomas Judson Duke, Jr.; sister, Nora Elizabeth Duke; and stepdaughter, Carolyn Flagg Temple. 

She is survived by her three children, Dr. William F. McDonnell III (Dr. Vangie Foshee), Ann McDonnell Fratesi, and George Robert McDonnell (Patricia Charlton); step daughter, Cass Flagg (Dr. Hyler Bracey); sister, Jean Duke Mullens; six grandchildren, Michael Lewis Fratesi Jr., Emily Katherine Fratesi (Todd Jackson), Jocelyn Elizabeth Charlton, Dr. Brittany Michelle Charlton (Andrew Flamang), John William McDonnell, and Thomas Scott McDonnell; and three great grandchildren, Cabrie Charlton Flamang, Adlin Charlton Flamang, and Ailey Charlton Flamang.

Although her rest is well deserved, Nona will be sorely missed by her friends and family. Her family is grateful for the health care provided by the NCEENT Hospital in Durham, the Croasdaile Village Health Clinic, Transitions LifeCare Palliative Medicine and Hospice, and Robin Gooch and her family of caregivers. 

A memorial ceremony at Croasdaile Village and a graveside service in Gulfport will be held at later dates.