She is an alumna of John Marshall High School (Class of 1948) where she graduated with honors and was involved in several organizations. Following her graduation, she was employed by the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office as a bookkeeper.
In 1951, Donna followed her family to Houston, Texas, where she worked at various bookkeeping jobs until the birth of her first child. She attended St. Anne’s Catholic Church and was a member and officer in the St. Anne’s Club. There she met her husband-to-be and was married at St. Anne’s Church on June 28, 1958, to Paul Henry Spies. Donna had two sons; Terry Lynn Spies born in 1963, and Andrew Paul Spies born in 1968. She was a mother and homemaker following the birth of her children until she returned to the working world in the early 1980s as a bookkeeper for Lentrade Inc., now Chantal Cookware Corp. She retired in 1994 at the age of 65 and became active in her neighborhood’s civic club as Chairman of the Welcoming Committee for new neighbors. She also traveled extensively during her retirement years with various groups to many destinations around the globe. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 2001, and by her sister, Marilyn Mazeika Hensley in 2020. She is survived by her sons as well as by nieces, Pamela Hensley and Janice Harrison, nephews, Dr. David Harrison from Dallas, Texas and Dr. Richard Harrison from Greenbay Wisconsin, and cousins still living in Ohio.
