Donna Gaye Alderman

Donna Gaye Hatcher Alderman, 79, passed away on October 4, 2019, following a brief illness. She was born on August 27, 1940 to Ruby Dale Farley Hatcher and Loren Douglas Hatcher, in Baltimore, Maryland, where her parents had gone to work in an aircraft manufacturing plant, supporting the upcoming entry of the United States into World War II. By the time she entered elementary school, her family had returned to Southern West Virginia, where she would come to happily spend her life. She excelled as a student, was an championship speller and loved literature, particularly the classics, and Dickens most of all. "A Tale of Two Cities" was her all time favorite novel.

In 1959, Donna married David Noel Alderman, who would remain her husband for the next sixty years. They found each other while playing Mary and Joseph in a church Christmas play and were high school sweethearts before marriage. She was the most devoted of mothers, who did not believe in baby sitters, while raising her three children, son Timothy David and daughters Robin Dawn and Cheryl Diane. She remained a resident of Daniels, West Virginia all of her life. She became a member of the original Daniels Bible Church at the age of 14, remained so, and prior to her passing she was the longest living member.

Donna loved West Virginia and would never agree to leave "almost heaven", no matter how much her son, Tim, begged her to move to Florida. She adored the autumn leaves and tranquil snows of her mountain state. Donna despised traveling, hot weather, idle hands and opportunists. She was never idle and never bored, and was the original "multi-tasker". A huge fan of pop, country, soul and Southern gospel music, this was evidenced by her eclectic collection of thousands of CDs, tapes and LPs. She also contributed musically as a pianist herself, throughout decades of church services.

Her hobbies and skills were legion: talented seamstress in all formats, crafter par excellence, flower arranger, interior designer, quilter, crocheter, avid reader, antiquer and master of organization. Donna was a collector as well, of just about everything. Her motto being more is more! She embraced technology and taught her self to rebuild computers in her 60s. She enjoyed crosswords, bonfires, and was passionate about her TV westerns and movies.

Donna was born to shop, and was a clothes horse and fashion maven, with closets full of beautiful apparel, some still with tags on, that she'd yet to wear. She loved blue jeans, unique jewelry, and deep, vibrant colors. Rings adorned all of her fingers, with their perfectly painted nails, along with multiple bracelets and necklaces.

A lifelong vegetarian, Donna's favorite food was peanut butter and boiling black coffee was her drink of choice. Her beloved dogs, Shenandoah, Solomon, Shylloh, and her parakeet, Sapphire, are inconsolable without her. Her mother, Ruby Hatcher, father Loren Hatcher, and sister, Kathy Jo Harper, pre deceased her. She is survived by her son, Timothy Alderman (Ray Rogers), daughter, Robin Mitchell (Stephen Mitchell) and daughter, Cheryl Alderman (Missy Roberts), sister Devra Hatcher, sister Lorra Richardson (Norman Richardson), grandson, Seth Mitchell (Sarah Mitchell), grandson, Luke Mitchell (Natalie Mitchell), granddaughter, Olivia Porter (Joseph Porter) granddaughter, Savanna Scheffel (Daniel Scheffel) and three great grandchildren, Audrey, Caleb and Marian.

Visitation will be held at the Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, WV, 25801 on Monday, October 7, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 pm. The service will follow on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 11:00 am with burial held in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com. Blue Ridge Funeral home & Crematorium has the honor of serving the family.