Donna was born on December 15, 1961 in Fort Frances, Ontario. She was grateful to be part of a large family combined with the love of both biological and adoptive family members. Donna valued the love and guidance of her parents – mothers Ellen (Adams) and Gladys (Guimond) and her father Victor (Guimond) and cherished her six siblings.
Together with Dennis Smith, Donna became a Mother to her own family, proudly raising four children, Chad, Dillon, Ryan and Desirae. As her children grew, she was overjoyed to welcome grandchildren into her heart. The role of Grandma was one that made her light up. Her grandbabies held a special place in her life, and she treasured each and every one of them. At the time of her passing, Donna was the proud Grandmother of 15 grandchildren.
Donna’s caring character and helping spirit spread beyond her family. She surrounded herself with countless amazing friends, all of whom she treasured. Time spent with friends provided Donna with the opportunity to share her many talents and enjoy the activities she loved. She welcomed the opportunity to sing and play her guitar, enjoying jam sessions filled with laughs and great company. She passed her love of music on to her children and playing guitar and singing with them were among her favorite past times. Donna loved the outdoors – fishing year round and hunting in the fall were activities she looked forward to with anticipation. As with everything else in her life, Donna loved to bring along friends and family while out on the land. Donna’s skill in fishing and hunting brought her great pride and you could be sure she would share a delicious meal with friends after fishing or hunting was successful.
Donna was not only known for her hunting and fishing skill. She was also known for her amazing craftmanship in creating beautiful regalia. This gift is one that she freely shared with others, taking the time to teach many. Her creativity, eagerness to share, and love of laughter made learning from her enjoyable. Those who had the opportunity to experience her lessons will treasure the memories. Donna’s love of sewing stemmed from her love of her culture and traditional teachings. She openly shared her belief in the Creator and the importance of faith in all that surrounds us. She welcomed teachings, shared teachings and supported many as they found their way. She loved the strength and healing that could be found in the Pow Wow circle and spent much of her summer time attending Pow Wows and visiting her Pow Wow family.
Donna was truly inspiring to those who had the opportunity to enjoy her company. She loved life, believed wholeheartedly in living it to the fullest, found beauty in the world around her and held a strong connection to the land and all it provided. She has left many with precious memories, with inspiration to live your best life, to sing and to dance, and to forever look for good, find joy in simple things and to follow your heart and act on love. Those who had the privilege of knowing Donna, will forever remember her strength and determination and she faced challenges head on, her trust in the Creator to guide her, and her genuine caring spirit.
Donna is survived by the love of her life, Terry Smith, her four children, Chad, Dillon (Liza), Ryan, Desirae (Steve), her grandchildren Chad Jr., Emma, Frankie, Anthony, Joshua, Miigwan, Mizhakwad, Nazem, Nico, Remy, Hailey, Brynnlee, Carson, Ziigwan, and Cedar-Lynn, her mothers Ellen and Gladys, her siblings Fran King, Diane Morrison (Ernie), Sharon Adams, Shelly Shields (Craig), Jason Guimond, and Allison Guimond (Shane), her aunts and uncles and many nephew and nieces and close friends.
Donna will join in the spirit world, her father Victor Guimond, grandmother Helen Goodsky-Strong, grandfather Henry Goodsky Sr, aunties; Alma (Goodsky) Lumbar, Bonnie (Goodsky) Guenthner, granddaughters; Binesii and Maachi’aashi.
A celebration of life will be held in honour of Donna at a later date.
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