Occasionally, when you meet someone for the first time, you sense that they are someone extraordinary, whom you wish to get to know better. Donna was that kind of person; her radiant smile, positive and cheerful attitude, and zest for life made her stand out even in our initial encounter. Donna joined Golfaround in 2022 along with her friends Erin and Shelley, who were equally amiable and supportive. Donna was very eager to learn and enhance her golf skills, and she achieved notable progress. We played together at Redwood Meadows, where her ability to recall lesson material was remarkable, likely attributable to her teaching background.
Donna passed away on April 14 at the age of 63, following a brave seven-month battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer. She will be reunited with her husband, her soul mate, who passed away in 2017. Her two daughters are profoundly affected by her loss but will undoubtedly continue her legacy of optimism and kindness. We will deeply miss Donna, and as her family has expressed, “she would remind all of us to take each day to improve the lives of others.” A beautiful sentiment that resonates is:
We will think of you when butterflies
Take rest upon a flower
Reminding me how beautiful
And fragile is life’s hour