Donna (Dellacroce) Carr

Donna, the oldest of eight girls, was raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from Rosary High School in 1963. A fun-loving person with a beautiful smile and laugh, one of Donna’s great joys was being a camp counselor for three summers at a Catholic camp. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in art at San Diego State University. Not only was Donna a talented artist, she was a writer as well. She wrote a novel while in school that earned high praise from her instructor. While living in Pacific Beach with her friends, she enjoyed going to the Blue Guitar to hear live music. While there, she met Gary Carr, a singer and guitar player in a bluegrass band. They fell in love, married, and had two children, Amy and Gary. She later became a social worker for the County of San Diego where she worked as an eligibility worker for refugees and later in the Child Protective Services Department. After her retirement from social work, Donna focused on her art. She was an accomplished artist and worked from her studio in Little Italy and showed her work at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park. While living her retirement years in Colorado Springs near her family, she became involved in the local art community. She had a studio at Cottonwood Center for Arts and showed her work at The Squash Blossom Gallery where she participated in art demonstrations. Many of her paintings were signed Donna Carr, and later in honor of her mother Lena, she signed her artwork Donna Dellacroce.

She was a California dreamer at heart who yearned for the Golden Coast on a cold Colorado winter’s night. Donna loved the Pacific Ocean. She also was drawn to the beauty of Colorado’s mountains and big skies as well as the dramatic terrain of New Mexico. She had a particular fondness for the towns of Sante Fe and Abiquiu and the work of artist Georgia O’Keefe. She loved to travel to these places and also took several trips to Europe with her friends and family. She enjoyed a long road trip, whether heading north on Highway 1 near Pismo Beach or the Million Dollar Highway just outside of Ouray, Colorado. She found beauty all around her and these travels inspired her artwork. She is well-known for her beautiful landscape paintings. She loved Pikes Peak and the Front Range for, “It feels like God is holding me in a loving embrace.” Donna’s Catholic faith was strong, and she loved Mother Mary. “I have lived a long, good life.” That she did, and she is loved by many. May she rest at peace with the Lord.

Donna was a lover of music, Patsy Cline, Z.Z. Top, The Rolling Stones, and B.B. King to name a few. She loved dogs, especially dachshunds, and cared for Doxie and Lucy until they each passed on. She was a voracious reader which was a favorite pastime of hers when she was not painting or relaxing with her family. She adored her granddaughter Ashlyn Brown.

Loving grandmother, friend, sister, daughter and mother. She was always there to listen, guide, and protect. She was our Sweet Lady.

Donna is survived by her daughter Amy Brown, son Gary Carr, granddaughter Ashlyn Brown, son-in-law Ryan Brown, sisters Linda German, Susan German, Dorothy Lardie, Angie Coleman, and Mary LaVoie as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceeded in death by her sisters Barbara German and Debra German Sullivan, her parents Floyd and Lena German, and her husband Gary Carr.

A Memorial Mass will be held on August 14, 2020 at 10 am at Sacred Heart Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 2021 W Pikes Peak Ave. Colorado Springs, Co 80904. She will be laid to rest at Memorial Gardens immediately after the service. 3825 Airport Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80910. Swan Law Funeral Directors may be reached to forward condolences to the family. 501 N. Cascade Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 471-9900