Donna E Beckwith

Donna E. Beckwith, 76, of Smithville NY, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Born in Binghamton NY to the late Clifford and Shirley Ellis. Survived by her loving husband of 36 years, Richard Beckwith; her children, Carolyn Kelley (Todd Kirk), of Speedsville NY; Valerie Nicholas, Leslie Allan VanDee, both of Cortland NY; Shirley Jo Spencer, of Minok IL; and her special daughter, Sabrina Gallagher, of Alpena MI; her step-children, Andrew VanDee, of Groton NY; and Jeanette Mulvaney, of Moravia NY; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; her sisters, Susan (Ronald Young), of TX; Kim (Patsy Sposato), of GA; and Beth Ellis Brown, of Richford NY; her sisters in law, Rita (Oland Guernsey), of Cortland NY Lois Ellis, of Cincinnatus NY; Shirley Swayze, of Smyrna NY; and Helen Brown, of Cortland NY; her brothers in law, Roy Allison, of FL; and Raymond (Pat) Merritt, of AZ; along with many nieces and nephews. Donna was predeceased by her brother, Mark Ellis; her sisters, Mary Porter, Lori Leete, and JoAnn Ellis; her stepchildren, Daryl VanDee and Roberta Ripley; and her brother in law, Morris Beckwith.

Donna will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and faithful caregiver to all who needed her. Some of her favorite pastimes were watching the New England Patriots, dancing, gardening, coloring and most of all, hosting family and friends for special gatherings. Summer barbeques at her house were some of her favorite times showcasing her love for cooking, sharing her passionate recipes with the most famous of all “Donna’s dirt cake”. Her unwavering devotion to the ones she loved, her strong spirit, high energy and sense of humor are some of her attributes that will be deeply missed.

There will be no formal funeral services for Donna at this time, a celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Donna’s memory may be made to The Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901 or to http://www.dementiasociety.org