Donna Hedges

Donna Hedges, age 79, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2023, at her home in Birmingham, Alabama, with her children by her side. She was born on July 5, 1944, to Harrison and Pauline (Summers) Crews in Winter Haven, Florida. She was the second of four children and their only daughter.

Growing up as the child of a pastor, Donna lived in several small towns in Highlands, Hardee, and Polk County, Florida until her family settled on “the Ranch” in Fort Meade where she graduated from Fort Meade High School in 1962. She furthered her education at Howard College, now Samford University, before transferring to Florida State University and completing her undergraduate degree in Family and Consumer Science in 1966 and later a Master’s Degree in Food and Nutrition. Following her training, she began her career teaching Home Economics in Polk County schools.

She met her future husband, Fred Hedges, while attending First Baptist Orlando and they married on July 3, 1971. After staying at home to raise her two children in Miami, Florida, Donna returned to teaching Home Economics and retired from Miami Sunset Senior High School in 2000 before moving back to Orlando with Fred to care for her mother Pauline and stepfather Ralph Cottrell. In 2017, Donna and Fred moved to Birmingham to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Donna was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved the Lord, friends, and family, sharing the gift of hospitality, working with children, organizing ministry, and praying for others.

More recently, she was a member of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, but was also a dedicated member at several churches, including First Baptist Pompano Beach, Riverside Baptist Church in Miami, and First Baptist Church Orlando. At Riverside, she directed Vacation Bible School, taught 5th grade Sunday School, and then later served at First Baptist Orlando teaching preschoolers and kids cooking classes. Her heart was also dedicated to mentoring young mothers in First Baptist Orlando’s Apples of Gold ministry. She loved others sacrificially and ministered to everyone around her.

She is survived by her brothers John (Angela) Crews of Fort Meade, Florida and Richard (Anne) Crews of Greenville, South Carolina, children Linda (John) Dewberry of Indian Springs, Alabama, David (Jill) Hedges of Auburn, Alabama, and five grandchildren; Claire Crews Dewberry, John Ralph Dewberry III, William Clark “W.C.” Hedges, Charlotte Ann Hedges, and Avery Jane Hedges.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, brother Bradley, and her loving husband of over 50 years, Fred.

The family will greet friends on Thursday, September, 14, 2023 at 9:30am in the worship center at The Church at Brookhills, 3145 Brook Highland Parkway, Birmingham. Please park in the North Parking lot by Highway 119 and use building Entrance 3 to access the worship center. Funeral service will follow at 10:30am, with the Rev. Robert Jakoby officiating. The graveside service will follow at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo at 2:00pm.

The family would also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all the staff at Home Instead in Birmingham for their attentiveness and loving care for Donna over the last two years.

Because she loved helping others, in lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to The Lovelady Center, 7916 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham.