Donna Louise Ibach

Donna passed away peacefully on Friday, September 18th, 2026 at Pineville’s Atrium hospital. She is survived by her husband of 56 years (Bo Ibach), as well as her six children, their spouses and eleven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eligah and Louise Whitaker and her brother, Dennis.

Donna was born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 6th, 1948, and resided in Dekalb County until 1959, when her father was transferred to Charlotte while working for Western Electric.

She attended Smith Junior High and South Mecklenburg High School, graduating with the class of 1966.

In June of 1966, while on a blind date at Lake Wylie she met the love of her life (and he met his), her future husband of 56 years. They were engaged that year, but didn’t marry until June 6th, 1970. Their honeymoon was a one-week trip to Florida and Georgia. On July 1, 1970, they moved to Pulaski, Va. for Bo’s employment. Two years later with their eldest son (Charles Ibach IV) in tow, they moved back to Charlotte and had Lori, Robert and Virginia.

Tragically, Robert died in an accident in 1981, and after a miracle surgery, Donna gave birth to two more sons, Michael and Jonathan, and a daughter, Meghan. Another difficult loss was when Donna miscarried at the fifth month in 1985.

Donna was a wonderful mother and homemaker whose love for plants led to a job later in life at Baucom’s nursery. She also worked at Arthur’s Restaurant in Charlotte. Arthur’s was a great place to be around people after she and Bo became empty nesters.

It must be mentioned that Donna simply loved 1960s music. There are so many songs she could sing word for word. The one band that always stood out for her was Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. In complete fan fashion, the actual Tommy Devito hitched a ride in Donna’s car to get to the former Charlotte Douglas municipal airport. This was during the band’s 1965 concert stop in Charlotte. That story is now legend in her family.

In the late 1990s, Bo and Donna renewed their interest in boating and joined the Charlotte Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons, America’s Boating Club. They both became very active in Squadron activities, both locally and at District and National levels. Donna truly enjoyed the friendship of all the members that she came to know.

Another love of Donna’s life was her animals, especially dogs and cats. Throughout the marriage she always had dogs, but the dog that became her closest companion in her later years was Lola - a toy poodle rescued from the Humane Society in 2014 when she was only 4 months old. Lola became a self-taught service animal, alerting Bo whenever Donna needed help. An amazing relationship developed between Lola and her mommy. It shows how much Lola is missing her now!

In 2015, Donna was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s, making everyday life a challenge for both her and Bo. She will be missed dearly, along with her infectious laugh. The family is thankful to all the extended family and friends that have shown Bo’s wife, our mother and “Grandma” so much love and compassion all these years.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 1:00 pm at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, 2501 Oxford Place, Charlotte, NC 28207.

Online condolences may be shared at www.McEwenPinevilleChapel.com.