Donna Stafford

Donna Stafford

On Aug. 1, 2018, Donna Stafford was set free! Donna passed surrounded by family at North Idaho Hospice Schneidmiller House, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, after a 40-year battle to breathe easily.

Donna was born in Cass Lake, Minn., on Aug. 29, 1922. At the age of 10 months her family moved to Bremerton, Wash., where she grew up and attended school. In 1942 she came to Coeur d’Alene, and during World War II she worked as an executive assistant at Alcoa Aluminum, which later became Kaiser Aluminum.

Donna’s professional career included being an administrative assistant to both the mayor and city treasurer during the 1950s. Later, after her daughters were in school, Donna was a sales associate for Clark’s Jewelry. Her years of volunteering were dedicated to both Trinity Lutheran and Christ the King Lutheran churches.

Donna Wright and Milton Stafford were married in 1948. Dad tells the story that the first time he saw Mom while he was walking down 15th Street with a .22 rifle over his shoulder, he knew he would marry that gal someday. Mom says, “I knew from that day that I would become a ‘hunting widow’ each fall.”

During an intense battle in World War II, Dad’s duffel bag, stowed in his foxhole, took a direct hit. The only untouched item was a photo of Donna. Their lives together were filled with love, laughter and memory making. Summers were at their lake place on Coeur d’Alene Lake, where Mom always outfished Dad with her beloved black fishing pole. Travels included Alaska cruises (Mom wouldn’t fly, so they always had to depart from Seattle) and a cross country journey to see the USA! Golfing with “The Dirty Dozen” was always an adventure that took them to courses all the way to Canada. Annual summer vacations to Bremerton for family visits always made for a fun family trip for Donna, Milt and the girls, Lynn and Julie.

Donna was an accomplished artist. To this day, her paintings hang in homes and businesses around the city. She loved to bake Christmas cookies and her knitting bag was always at her side along with the latest novel she was reading. She was the matriarch of her family and we all knew she was the boss ... quiet and sweet, but always the boss who held everyone together. The love of her family was the highlight of her life and she lived through all of our accomplishments and adventures. Donna was a gracious and elegant lady. She was warm and welcoming to everyone she met and a joy to know as a friend.

Donna was preceded in death by her mother, Cecil Wright, and father, Lyle Wright; brothers, Doug and Pete and sisters, Barbara and Linda. She is survived by the last of the Wright gang: sister, Sharon Mille; her husband of 71 years, Milton; daughters Lynn (Harry) Lauer, Julie (Chris) DeBarbrie; brother-in-law Robert (Pat) Stafford; sister-in-law Betty (Jim) Glaspie; grandchildren, Brian (Lara) Lauer, Kirk (Angie) Lauer, Trevor (Misty) DeBarbrie and Vassilka (Ryan) Johnson; great-grandchildren, Chase (Rachel) Stoltey-Lauer, Mitchell Lauer and Shay Louise DeBarbrie. Also surviving Donna are her many nieces and nephews and dear friends.

For the last six years, Milt and Donna called Garden Plaza and The Bridge of Post Falls home. There are no words that will justly express the gratitude we have to the staff and caregivers who loved and laughed with Donna. These amazing people include Bev, Wendy Lori, Sheila, Brenda, Dawn, Taylor, Emma, Shrina, Addie, Makala, Alice, Mary, Tracy, Tori and Juliette. Thank you to God’s Angels for caring for our beloved Momma. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Maggie and Tanya, Donna’s Hospice nurses who attended to her every need for the past two years. The team of Hospice nurses and spiritual guide, Jennier, and those who helped Donna and her family complete her journey to her heavenly home are forever appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, consider giving a memorial donation to Hospice of North Idaho Schneidmiller Hospice House. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, with a viewing at 10 a.m. and a Funeral Service following at 11 a.m., at Christ the King Lutheran Church. Private family services will take place at Forest Cemetery.