Donna Rae Wahl

It is in honor of a life well-lived that the family of Donna Rae Wahl announces her passing April 30, 2024. Donna was called to her Lord and Savior peacefully surrounded by family she loved so much. The series of hard-fought medical battles that finally overcame her physical limitations but not her will showcased Donna’s zest for life, grit, and determination, along with the limitless love for her family and broad network of friends.

Donna was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to Homer and Juanita James. Her youth was spent in southern Oregon timber industry towns before the family settled for good in Bieber, California. Donna’s trademark optimistic outlook was shaped by the hard work and close-knit nature of a rural lifestyle that would be her north star for life. Donna married while attending Big Valley High School and was soon off to see the world courtesy of the U.S. military. She experienced profound joy in becoming a young mother to three precious daughters, building many happy memories with them wherever they landed. Donna faced the frequent moves and rebuilding the family’s life in various parts of the country and the world with laughter, patience, and perseverance, drawing on those small-town values and love. No matter where the military life took her, family was always a priority to Donna and she maintained strong ties to home, showing up for important events big and small.

Her thirties were a time of significant change. Donna went from full-time homemaker to a single mom breadwinner and U.S. Army Reservist pursuing a nursing degree. When the opportunity came, she didn’t hesitate to head back toward family, which included off-grid living and a second marriage, again in the far reaches of northern California. With her daughters grown and on their own when she hit her forties, the ‘big city’ of Redding became home.

Over the next several years Donna welcomed many grandchildren and trekked to each of their births – even one in Germany. She relished the role of grandma, enjoying being frequently mistaken as the mother of her young grands. During this time Donna also cared for her parents through illness as they aged, always with abundant love, compassion, and dignity.

The last two decades of Donna’s life, which started with her being single again, were by far her happiest. She ventured onto the singles scene in the fall of 2005 – once – and met a man who was trying it out for the first time too. They clicked and were inseparable from that moment on. Stephen Wahl was truly the love of Donna’s life. Meeting later in life, they knew the fleeting nature of time on Earth and committed to living life together with gusto and without apology. Donna and Steve had a common love of rural living and welcoming the wildlife that felt comfortable sharing their environment. She especially loved feeding the deer, by hand, noting the changing family units over time, and enticing hummingbirds in close in youthful wonder. Donna and Steve shared a life of generosity, humor, music, and generally of doing things ‘their way’. They finally made it official after 15 years and tied the knot in March 2020. They had found places to live that brought them close to nature in northern California and in western Washington, eventually finding their paradise toward the end of 2020.

Calling it a perfect, final stop, Donna loved their cabin on the lake with a front row view of Mount Shasta. She delighted in watching the changing sky over the mountain and following the animals and birds who also call this oasis home. Everywhere she went, Donna made sure to have a patch of dirt somewhere to tend, and the cabin was no exception. She poured her love into her garden and valued the effort as much as the yield, which could be seen as a stand-in for the many people she cared about: a lifelong love of coaxing sprouts to flourish, bearing results even in tough conditions with her nurturing. Over the last year, through her grandson Alex, she became a devoted supporter of the men and women volunteering with the Lake Shastina Fire Department and adopted them as extended family. They and she enjoyed the weekly meals she prepared and the many extra plates that found their way to the firehouse in between.

Donna had a truly joyful soul, one that shone brightly out into the world. Her beacon acted as a lighthouse in a storm for those who needed that lifeline, and she was so appreciative when the glow from others would come back her way. Donna accepted life and all its trials with grace and a determination to thrive under whatever opportunities she could create. Donna was not timid. She was fearless about venturing off the beaten path, sometimes stubbornly navigating her chosen course with a subtly that could mask the boldness of her choice. She was also very spiritual, confident in her personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which gave her great comfort and strength. Donna is missed greatly every day but leaves behind many examples for how to live fully, laugh heartily, and love deeply despite life’s inevitable challenges.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Juanita and Homer James; a close cousin, Billy (William Manning, Jr.), whose childhood death impacted her to her final days; as well as many other cherished extended family members.

She is survived by her loving husband Stephen Wahl of Lake Shastina, Calif.; daughters Neverley Wake (Frank) of Anchorage, Alaska, Deborah Louise (John) of Woodstock, Ill., and Denise Williams of Enumclaw, Wash.; Steve’s living children Stefani Clark (Todd) of Lake Shastina, Calif., Dana Merchant (Erik) of (St Joseph, Mich.), and Danny Wahl (Alice) of Cottonwood, Calif.; sister Ellen Songer (Bill) of Burney, Calif. and brother Homer James Jr. (Jeanne) of Redding, Calif; 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, along with numerous beloved nieces and nephews, a dear aunt and cousins.

A harvest-themed Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, September 21, 2024, at the Community Center in Lake Shastina, Calif. From 11a.m. to 2p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family would like those who feel led to contribute to consider the Lake Shastina Fire Department or other rural volunteer fire department. All are welcome – an RSVP is requested at Celebrationoflifefordonna.rsvpify.com so the family can accommodate.