Donna Rae Van Voorhees

During her last years, Donna lived with Alzheimer's disease and was lovingly cared for by her children and the excellent staff at both Nightingale Lane of Arvada and Elevation Hospice.

Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, Donna was the first child of Dorothy and Herbie Lockwood. The Lockwoods later welcomed three sons, Larry, Jerry, Bob, and another daughter, JoAnn (Tornow), for whom Donna was a caring older sister. Donna graduated from high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She later married John C. ("J.C.") Van Voorhees when she was 19, and he was 21. Together they had two sons, Eric and Brian, and lived in Wyoming, Colorado, California, Nebraska, and New Jersey.

Donna was a dedicated homemaker and role model who continually pursued educational opportunities for herself while raising her boys. Her oldest son still remembers her practicing her Spanish after she picked him up from school. While living in New Jersey, the family welcomed their bulldog, Danny, to the mix. His legendary character was something she never forgot. Donna also began her career in the insurance industry while both boys attended and graduated from high school in New Jersey.

Following her divorce from J.C., Donna moved to Colorado Springs to be nearer to her siblings and help her mother in her final years. Her parents previously moved to Colorado Springs when her father, the 1960 president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, built the Kissing Camels Golf Course. Donna worked downtown as an insurance underwriter for Primac. She loved vacations with her sister JoAnn, gardening, reading books in the sun with her beloved cat Willie by her side, early morning jogs through her beautiful neighborhood and working out at Gold's Gym. She was able to see her sons start their own families, Eric with Lorie Struzik and Brian with Dianne (Pacheco). However, her proudest accomplishment was having both of her sons graduate with advanced degrees.

After retiring, Donna moved to Westminster, Colorado, to be near Brian's family. Donna was a fantastic grandmother to her three grandchildren, Kyra, Jake, and Hudson. Living near Hudson allowed her to spend time with him nearly every day while he attended elementary school.

She loved hosting visits from Eric, Lorie, Kyra, and Jake and visiting them in Pennsylvania. A vacation with them to Disney World proved memorable when Donna won the Year of a Million Dreams Sweepstakes, resulting in a day of VIP treatment and a night in Cinderella's castle for the family.

When Donna could no longer live alone, her children helped her choose the Nightingale Lane memory care facility. There, she continued to enjoy long walks, dinners, and lunches out, attending The Nutcracker ballet at Christmastime (an annual family tradition), phone calls with her sister and son Eric, piano lessons, and painting for as long as the disease would allow. She attended her sister's funeral in Las Vegas when JoAnn unexpectedly passed away in 2018.

On her last day, Donna awakened from a long slumber with incredible energy. First, she got out of bed and ate breakfast with her sons. Then they spent time together outside in the sun, and her personality shined through. She then took a short nap and passed away peacefully and gently with her two sons at her bedside.

She is missed. Her humor, love, and charity will be forever remembered. A Celebration of her life will take place on July 24, 2021, at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception for family and friends at Swan-Law Funeral Directors, 501 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. If you can't join us, feel free to raise a glass of white zin or a Corona to toast her memory.

Donna loved animals, supported education, and wished for a cure for Alzheimer's. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America RMEGI scholarship fund, Mother Gaia Animal Rescue, or the Alzheimer's Association are appreciated.