Donna May Arany

Donna “Daisy” Arany was a force of nature. Bigger than life. She celebrated being alive every day. When she walked into a party with that twinkle in her eyes behind her funny glasses, you knew the party had started. If it was a large gathering, you could always find her, because her laugh would cut through any crowd.

But Donna’s superpower was making everyone she met feel important, and feel good about themselves. She was sincerely interested in everyone’s story, their family and their life. Even if she had just met them. She would remember every detail, and could tell you what you said years later.

Donna grew up with her sister Cheryl on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Life was hard, but they didn’t know it. No running water. No indoor toilet. No heat in the winter, except for the wood burning stove. Again, they didn’t know it. It’s as though they grew up in the 1800’s, but it was the 1960’s and 70’s.

By 1973, their parents moved the family from the farm to Calgary, Alberta. City life was much different, and Donna succeeded in making friends immediately. By the time she moved to Hawaii in 2001, she had a core group that was happy to come visit her in paradise, and grateful that Donna would come back to Calgary for the summer season of fun. Her love of people made her work in sales and marketing a no-brainer, but in 2010, she found the love of her life in a California boy who found himself making movies and TV shows in the 50th state. Together they blended their lives and friends, and their love of music and travel. The next 12 years found Scott and Donna diving deeply into the Aloha Spirit of the islands, and eventually bonding themselves forever in marriage in 2019.

Donna made her transition on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. A day of rebirth indeed. She fought a tough battle with pancreatic cancer for the last 6 months of her stay here on earth, surrounded by the most fiercely loving Warriors one could hope for. Donna's sister Cheryl was able to spend the last month with her, and her husband Scott was holding her until the end. Or is this the beginning?

Donna is survived by Cheryl and Scott, as well as her youngest sister Amanda and nephew Miika. Services will be held on June 13th, in Hawaii, in the shadow of Diamond Head. Donations can be made to City of Hope Cancer Center, Everytown for Gun Safety or Unity Church of Hawaii.

Aloha Ever After, my love.