Donna Elaine Ward

Donna Elaine Ward: mother, manager, mentor, wife. Passed away peacefully November 19, looking out the window at the lake in the house she designed. She died after an eight-year struggle with multiple systems atrophy.Donna was born October 24, 1958 in O'Conner hospital in San Jose, California. She graduated from Cupertino High School and earned an AA degree from De Anza College. She worked at Shugart Associates as an expediter then moved to Quantum Corp. as employee 28. She went on to be the first female VP at Maxtor Corp.She's remembered as a gourmet cook, amazing hostess, a dangerous bar tender, travel agent for the family. She loved surprising family and friends with presents and trips and concert tickets, but she was a present shaker and seldom was surprised. She was notorious for practical jokes, w to the friend who turned 30 or 40 or 50. She had to have additional pages added to her passports, due to frequent business trips including Japan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Germany, and Netherlands, and vacations to Russia, Tahiti, Bali, and Bahamas. Friends remember her grand Christmas parties, dinner parties, and summer parties. She'd throw lake parties and Christmas parties for the church youth group. She kept the Excel records for the church and entered the handwritten prayer requests into Word even when she could only type with one finger because of the MSA. For as long as she could she would make meals for people at church that needed help.We'll miss her at Christmas when we put out her 43 nutcrackers and hang the 61 years of one of a kind ornaments on the tree. She's survived by Her husband of thirty years Michael Hassel, two adopted daughters Oksana and Vika, her mother Ann Ward, Sister Jeanette Scott and niece Meagan Scott. She was preceded in death by her father Frederic Eugene Ward. She made everyone she touched better for having known her. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 pm Monday November 25, 2019 at the Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will be at 1:30 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. Share condolences at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com