Donna was born on July 10, 1933 in Portland, Oregon to W. Laverne and Frances Lucille (Barker) Tozer. Donna lived in southeast Portland with her family and attended Glencoe Elementary school. At age 14 her family moved to Roseburg where she graduated from Roseburg High School in 1951.
Donna developed a wonderful talent for writing, often putting her thoughts on paper in the form of poetry or stories. This hobby turned into a career when she began work for the Roseburg News Review as a reporter. It was during this time she met her first husband Merle Pugh, they married shortly after meeting and began a family. They were blessed with three children, Deborah, Gail and Eric. Merle was offered a position with the Journal in Portland where they relocated, later on returning to Roseburg to again work for the News Review, then finally moving back to Portland where Merle started work with the Oregonian. They later moved to Garden Home. Eventually, Merle and Donna decided to separate.
Donna worked for the Roseburg News Review, Sawyers (GAF) from 1962-1964, Tektronix from 1966-1976, and the Times Publications from 1978-1983. She received certification from Western School of Floral Design in 1984 and worked as a floral designer specializing in silk arrangements. She enjoyed knitting, music (especially Johnny Mathis), ceramics, bowling and home decorating. She was the matriarch of her family and took great pride in organizing family celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Donna enjoyed taking care of her home and everyone she loved dearly.
In February of 1963 Donna remarried after meeting Earl Marquart, together they attended events with the Elks, camped all over Oregon and traveled with their boat. Often times the family would go camping at Diamond Lake or boating at Prineville Reservoir. After 35 years of marriage, Earl passed away on September 30, 1998.
Happiness was brought back into Donna’s life when she married Bruce Reed. Donna and Bruce had known each other for 40 years, Bruce a widower himself could identify the feelings of losing a spouse. Donna and Bruce began dating and married in September of 2005. Together they enjoyed trips to the Oregon Coast, cruises to Alaska, Caribbean, Hawaii, New England and Canada. Saturday nights were reserved for dancing and they both shared many friends in the Beaverton Elks Lodge.
Donna enjoyed being a wife, mother and grandmother and when her health no longer permitted her to do so, it was incredibly hard for her. She passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 21, 2013 in Portland, Oregon.
Remaining family include her husband, Bruce Reed of Beaverton, daughters Debbie (Rod) Bach of Monmouth, Gail Downing of Boise, and son Eric (Peggy) Pugh of Clackamas; step-children Michelle Marquart, Bruce Reed Jr. and Sherrie Reed-Guerin; sisters Janice (Owen Smith) Curry of Bend and Joy (Steve) Malone of Roseburg; step-brother Randy (Jonelle) Jones of Medford; cousins Marty Brown of Newberg and Rick Krohn of McMinnville; numerous nieces and nephews, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
A private interment will take place at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made in Donna’s memory to the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic at OHSU by visiting: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/how-you-can-help/index.cfm
Everyone who knew Donna is encouraged to leave a message, share a story or offer condolences at www.youngsfuneralhome.org
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