Donna Gayle Heslip

Donna Gayle Heslip, mother to Glen Heslip, passed away at approximately 5:15AM in the morning on February 2nd of 2026 after a brief battle with cancer. This abdominal cancer was only found two weeks prior to her death, after an extensive three months of ER visits due to falls, and clear physical and cognitive decline. Her final moments were spent in the home of her only son and his family, where she was able to enjoy her final days with her most beloved grandchildren, as well as visits from close family and friends.

Donna was known for her friendly demeanor to all, charitable and volunteering efforts, and her tenacity about getting things accomplished. This was especially apparent in her compassion with her longtime twenty five year teaching career, a combination of elementary school education in both Kaufman Texas and Phoenix Arizona. Amidst this career and onward into her retirement, she became very well known for her passion and capabilities in the artwork field. She showcased much of her artwork throughout the state of Arizona, but most especially in Wickenberg and Sun City West Arizona. Here she was seen to have seemingly mastered the true talent of using pastels to produce incredible and highly sought after; stills, western scenes, and Native American works of art.

She is survived by her only son, Glen, and her brother, James (Jim) Harris. The family’s hopes are that her artwork will leave a lasting legacy in this world of her skilled passion for capturing the beauty in so much, along with those she impacted with her teaching achievements in their lives.

A private ceremony will be held at Lakeshore Memorial, located at 1815 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ. 85202. A memorial/celebration of life ceremony, to honor Donna, will be held on 2-26-26 at 3:00PM. Guests are welcome to arrive at 3:00PM to socialize and enjoy catered appetizers after the ceremony.