Donna Wilcox Stephens

Winston-Salem, NC - Donna Rae Wilcox Stephens, 89, passed away peacefully in her sleep in her home at Heritage Woods in Winston-Salem, NC, on February 26, 2025. She was born to Hugh Wilcox and Thelma Flanigan Wilcox on Dec 31, 1935 in Virgin, Utah.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded by her husband, Herschel “Steve” Stephens, her sons Michael J. Stephens and David Stephens (spouse Lourdes), and her siblings and their spouses, Lenard and Yvonne Wilcox, Wanda Wilcox, Dean Alma Wilcox, Buddy and Amelda Wilcox, Gloria Faye and Henry Turnbaugh, Beverly Dot and Bill Mangum, and Joseph and Ella Gardner.

She is survived by her sister, Hulene Nicholson (Jerry) of Burlington, WY, her two children, Kevin Boyd Stephens (Annette) of Los Angeles, CA, and Lisa Stephens Sykes (Dennis) of Winston-Salem, NC, her grandchildren Sean Stephens (Kristin) of San Antonio, TX, Jaime Travis Stephens of Anaheim, CA, Janet Elisabeth Sykes and Jesse David Sykes of Winston-Salem, Candace Stephens Tillery (Blake) and Matthew Stephens of Meridian, ID, and her beloved great grandchildren Austin, Dustin, Dylan, Canyon, and Elora.

Donna was a full-time mother of four, an Army officer’s wife with all the responsibilities that entailed, and an active volunteer throughout her life. When Steve retired from his dream life of flying helicopters to his dream life of playing golf in the desert in 1979, he and Donna moved to Arizona, where Donna was an active volunteer in various jobs in their Leisure World community and at Brown Road Baptist Church. Her favorite volunteer position was on the Book Selection Committee of Leisure World’s 5000-book library, a position she enjoyed for many years. Donna was a voracious reader, and in her later years an avid viewer of television documentaries about archeological digs, nature documentaries, and British detective dramas. Everything interested her. She was never bored, and she was never boring. People enjoyed her company.

In 2021, Donna moved to Winston-Salem, NC, to be closer to family. She lived independently at Heritage Woods, where she enjoyed conversations with her friends in the dining room and appreciated all the staff for their caring attention. She joined Knollwood Baptist Church, where she especially enjoyed her Agape Sunday School class and her monthly lunch group.

Donna’s cremated remains will be inurned alongside her husband’s at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the American Liver Foundation at liverfoundation.org or to your favorite library.

A memorial reception will take place at Knollwood Baptist Church at 2 PM on Thursday, March 27.