Donna went to heaven March 6, 2025, due to the effects of Dementia/Alzheimers. She was preceded in death by her parents, Audrey and Ross and brothers David and Dennis. She is survived by her husband, Charlie; children Leanor, Jesse and Carlos (Fiorella); and grandchidlren Gentry, Caridad, Samantha, Reynaldo, Leyla, Ernest and Lima. Raised in Albuquerque, she attended APS schools, Hawthorne Elementay, Hayes MS, Manzano HS and graduated from UNM Anderson school of Management with a degree in accounting.

Donna dedicated her life to caring for and nurturing her family. With the birth of her children, she cjhose to forego her education and career to support Charlie and guide her babies through school, athletics, their cultural, artistic and music interests. In High School she was 2^nd chair Violin in the orchestra. She was the perect Team Player; assisting with schoolwork, coaching teams when no one else would, doing the books for her children’s Little League, being the Team Mom for all their different sports coordinating team schedules and planning parents’ meetings, Team Banquets and awards (Football, Softball, Baseball, Wrestling, Basketball, Soccer). Pretty sure she nevere missed a game or match. Even though she never played or was involved in any organized sports as a child, she had a journeyman’s understanding of everything there was to know about communicating and guiding her brood. She kept a meticulous scorebook for siftball and baseball and new how to make a lineup card to share with umpires and opposing coaches. She loved to scrutinize, whether it was a hit or an error and never favored her children at bats. She knew the message of a purpose pitch, and the difference of blocking out or a moving screen in basketball. In wrestling, she loved the resujplt of a single or double leg takedown and woud giggle when she finally understood what a whizzer was.

When Carlos was in kindergarten and all three were in school, she decided to go back to UNM to get her accounting degree. She and Charlie jokingly bragged that she was on scholarship, never letting on that together they paid for her tuition. She would often wake Charlie at 2 or 3 in the morning to gush abouyr understanding her calculus assignments. Three years later with a degree, she started her own business, bookeeping, and growing a stable of 10 to 20 steady clients. Fiercely independent, she loved her success and reveled her quality supporting the household and raising her children side by side with Charlie. The family has always understood and agreed their success in school and careers (including Charlie’s) was because of her.

Donna and Charlie met in the summer of 1972 while they were out cruising. Hoping to set her up with one of his friends who had recently broken up just didn’t seem to be in the cards. Charlie thinking: he’s not taking the bait and amazed at how cute she was, made his play and the rest is hstory. Together 53 years, after eloping, this December woujld be their 49^th wedding Anniversary.