Donna Rae Neill

Phoenix has lost a hero. On May 12, 2014 Donna Rae Neill passed away with her husband, son and daughter by her side.Clarissa, her oldest granddaughter, said “ I never had your typical "Grandma" because I was so unbelievably lucky to have Honey. Baking cookies was never her forte but fighting bad guys and helping those in need was her specialty.” To quote Mayor Stanton, “Donna left her mark on our city. She was passionate, dedicated, spirited, and a doer. It’s hard to believe she is gone, but her legend will certainly live on.” Donna was born in Denver, Colorado, to Bill and Ila Shinaut,1-17-1946. She married Jerry Neill and eventually moved to Albuquerque, NM and then on to Phoenix, Arizona, which she was proud to call home. Jerry and Donna were able to spend 38 years together. Donna started her career as a volunteer with buckets of paint in her trunk, she would stop and paint over graffiti in her neighborhood. She then started noticing the children and the poverty these kids lived with. Donna was determined to make Westwood and all of Phoenix a better place to live for all of us. She gave us NAILEM, Kid’s Street, and Kid’s Street Park. Donna was preceded in death by her father William Everett Shinaut and her daughter Kimberly Lynn Nash. She is survived by her mother Ila Katherine Shinaut, her husband Jerry Neill Sr., her son Martin William Nash, her daughter Angela Renee McCormick, granddaughters Clarissa Lynn McDougall and Dana Rae McDougall, and her great granddaughter Kaylin Renee Richards, her brother Jerry Edward Shinaut. A public memorial date will be determined shortly. 1/17/1946-5/12/2014