Donna Ashby Hodges

May 12, 1949 – August 11, 2026

Donna Ruth Ashby Hodges, 77, of Sanford, Florida, died August 11, 2026, surrounded by family.

Donna was born May 12, 1949, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Henry Nicholson Ashby and Martha Bishop Ashby. She moved to Sanford at a young age and developed a lifelong love for the community she proudly called home.

A proud graduate of Seminole High School's Class of 1967, Donna remained deeply connected to her alma mater and passionate about the community. She looked for any opportunity to share Sanford's history, telling stories of the people and places she remembered and how the community had evolved over the decades.

Donna began her career in banking at the former Atlantic Bank on First Street in downtown Sanford, where she also met her husband, Jeffery Hodges. They fell in love quickly and spent nearly 53 years building a life together. Their marriage was a true partnership, growing together while giving each other room to flourish. Their daughter, Lindsay, was Donna's greatest joy, and being her mom was a role she treasured. Taking care of her family was at the heart of who Donna was and she loved them fiercely.

Throughout her banking career, Donna found particular satisfaction in helping people realize their dreams and setting them up for success. She was a member of Kiwanis Club for a time and taught financial literacy through civic organizations. Having survived Guillain-Barré syndrome as a teenager, she later volunteered to counsel people diagnosed with the illness and families facing it alongside them.

A voracious reader, Donna particularly loved mysteries. She enjoyed card games, especially Canasta and Hand and Foot, and in later years Solitaire and FreeCell on her iPad. She loved to cook, carrying on Southern recipes and traditions passed down through generations. New Year's Day meant collard greens and black-eyed peas without exception, and a shrimp boil was often her request for a special occasion. She treasured family vacations, especially summers spent at New Smyrna Beach, and throughout her life was happiest with a dog nearby. Fiercely loyal and an enthusiastic cheerleader for the people she loved, she was also very funny, frequently without trying — or even realizing it.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Nicholson Ashby and Martha Bishop Ashby, and her brother-in-law, Fred Ellinor. She is survived by her husband, Jeffery Hodges; her daughter, Lindsay Hodges and her wife, Jillian Dick; her siblings, Elizabeth "Bets" Berry and her husband, Roger, Martha "Niki" Ellinor, and Henry "Hank" Ashby and his wife, Susan; as well as beloved nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Donna's memory to Seminole High School COMSAC (theseminolemagazine.com/donations), supporting scholarships for future generations of Seminole High School students. Donations can also be sent to COMSAC/SHS Alumni Association, Attn: M. Stasie Treasurer, 976 Florida Central Parkway, #140, Longwood, FL 32750. Please note In Memory of Donna Hodges.