Donna Lee Anderson
Jan 10, 1954 - Dec 3, 2023
We lost one of the good ones when retired Master Sergeant (US Army) Donna Lee Anderson changed her address to Heaven after a short, valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Los Angeles, Donna joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating high school. After her stint in the Marines, Donna crossed services to the Arizona Army National Guard where she spent the rest of her working career. Her military deployments include multiple assignments along the US/Mexico border as well as an 11-month deployment to the Iraq/Kuwait frontier in support of Operation: IRAQI FREEDOM.
After retiring, Donna and her wife, retired Lieutenant Colonel Patti Sutherland, spent their time traveling the world with each other, and in groups with their tightly-knit circle of friends and family. She volunteered her time and boundless energy to multiple church-related mission activities in her community. Secure in her Christian faith and the afterlife to come, Donna received a terminal diagnosis with uncommon good grace, and changed her focus to passing from this life on her terms. Opting out of life-extending treatment in favor of maximizing quality of life for her remaining days, Donna set about the difficult task of managing her affairs for the last time.
Donna Lee Anderson left this Earthly life too soon, held up in prayer by her loving wife, family and close friends. She is survived by her wife (and partner in all things) Patti Sutherland, sister Gloria Egan, nieces Judy Armijo, Kelly (Brian) O'Kelley, and Teresa (Shaun) Jones, great-nieces/nephews Erin (Chris) LeMieux, Nicole (Connor) Flynn, Megan Jones, Ken O'Kelley, and Nick Jones, sister-in-law Eileen (Tim) Gunter, brother-in-law Reverend Father Bill Sutherland, nieces Kelley (Adam) Majczyk, Gwendolyn McKay (and her son, a light of our lives, Gabriel), nephews Brian (Val) Gunter, Kevin (Jamie) Gunter, and by Max, their ever-faithful puppy. May her memory forever be a blessing.
Donna deeply loved and was loved by her birth family, but the love didn't stop there. Donna and Patti both have been blessed by a decades-long loving relationship with a circle of people that can only be described as "Chosen". When Donna counted her many blessings she included: Gladys, Sandy & Carol, Dee & Barb, Gari & Nan, Lynn & Joan, and many more. Thank you for the blessings that you are.
A counting of Donna's many blessings would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ (SCUCC) where Donna and Patti have been members for many years. More than a church, the people and the clergy there are a loving refuge from problems and noise of the outside world.
A Memorial Service will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local Humane Society.
Posted online on December 06, 2023
Published in The Arizona Republic
Jan 10, 1954 - Dec 3, 2023
We lost one of the good ones when retired Master Sergeant (US Army) Donna Lee Anderson changed her address to Heaven after a short, valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Los Angeles, Donna joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating high school. After her stint in the Marines, Donna crossed services to the Arizona Army National Guard where she spent the rest of her working career. Her military deployments include multiple assignments along the US/Mexico border as well as an 11-month deployment to the Iraq/Kuwait frontier in support of Operation: IRAQI FREEDOM.
After retiring, Donna and her wife, retired Lieutenant Colonel Patti Sutherland, spent their time traveling the world with each other, and in groups with their tightly-knit circle of friends and family. She volunteered her time and boundless energy to multiple church-related mission activities in her community. Secure in her Christian faith and the afterlife to come, Donna received a terminal diagnosis with uncommon good grace, and changed her focus to passing from this life on her terms. Opting out of life-extending treatment in favor of maximizing quality of life for her remaining days, Donna set about the difficult task of managing her affairs for the last time.
Donna Lee Anderson left this Earthly life too soon, held up in prayer by her loving wife, family and close friends. She is survived by her wife (and partner in all things) Patti Sutherland, sister Gloria Egan, nieces Judy Armijo, Kelly (Brian) O'Kelley, and Teresa (Shaun) Jones, great-nieces/nephews Erin (Chris) LeMieux, Nicole (Connor) Flynn, Megan Jones, Ken O'Kelley, and Nick Jones, sister-in-law Eileen (Tim) Gunter, brother-in-law Reverend Father Bill Sutherland, nieces Kelley (Adam) Majczyk, Gwendolyn McKay (and her son, a light of our lives, Gabriel), nephews Brian (Val) Gunter, Kevin (Jamie) Gunter, and by Max, their ever-faithful puppy. May her memory forever be a blessing.
Donna deeply loved and was loved by her birth family, but the love didn't stop there. Donna and Patti both have been blessed by a decades-long loving relationship with a circle of people that can only be described as "Chosen". When Donna counted her many blessings she included: Gladys, Sandy & Carol, Dee & Barb, Gari & Nan, Lynn & Joan, and many more. Thank you for the blessings that you are.
A counting of Donna's many blessings would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ (SCUCC) where Donna and Patti have been members for many years. More than a church, the people and the clergy there are a loving refuge from problems and noise of the outside world.
A Memorial Service will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local Humane Society.
Posted online on December 06, 2023
Published in The Arizona Republic
Donna Lee Anderson
Jan 10, 1954 - Dec 3, 2023
We lost one of the good ones when retired Master Sergeant (US Army) Donna Lee Anderson changed her address to Heaven after a short, valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Los Angeles, Donna joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating high school. After her stint in the Marines, Donna crossed services to the Arizona Army National Guard where she spent the rest of her working career. Her military deployments include multiple assignments along the US/Mexico border as well as an 11-month deployment to the Iraq/Kuwait frontier in support of Operation: IRAQI FREEDOM.
After retiring, Donna and her wife, retired Lieutenant Colonel Patti Sutherland, spent their time traveling the world with each other, and in groups with their tightly-knit circle of friends and family. She volunteered her time and boundless energy to multiple church-related mission activities in her community. Secure in her Christian faith and the afterlife to come, Donna received a terminal diagnosis with uncommon good grace, and changed her focus to passing from this life on her terms. Opting out of life-extending treatment in favor of maximizing quality of life for her remaining days, Donna set about the difficult task of managing her affairs for the last time.
Donna Lee Anderson left this Earthly life too soon, held up in prayer by her loving wife, family and close friends. She is survived by her wife (and partner in all things) Patti Sutherland, sister Gloria Egan, nieces Judy Armijo, Kelly (Brian) O'Kelley, and Teresa (Shaun) Jones, great-nieces/nephews Erin (Chris) LeMieux, Nicole (Connor) Flynn, Megan Jones, Ken O'Kelley, and Nick Jones, sister-in-law Eileen (Tim) Gunter, brother-in-law Reverend Father Bill Sutherland, nieces Kelley (Adam) Majczyk, Gwendolyn McKay (and her son, a light of our lives, Gabriel), nephews Brian (Val) Gunter, Kevin (Jamie) Gunter, and by Max, their ever-faithful puppy. May her memory forever be a blessing.
Donna deeply loved and was loved by her birth family, but the love didn't stop there. Donna and Patti both have been blessed by a decades-long loving relationship with a circle of people that can only be described as "Chosen". When Donna counted her many blessings she included: Gladys, Sandy & Carol, Dee & Barb, Gari & Nan, Lynn & Joan, and many more. Thank you for the blessings that you are.
A counting of Donna's many blessings would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ (SCUCC) where Donna and Patti have been members for many years. More than a church, the people and the clergy there are a loving refuge from problems and noise of the outside world.
A Memorial Service will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local Humane Society.
Posted online on December 06, 2023
Published in The Arizona Republic
Jan 10, 1954 - Dec 3, 2023
We lost one of the good ones when retired Master Sergeant (US Army) Donna Lee Anderson changed her address to Heaven after a short, valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Los Angeles, Donna joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating high school. After her stint in the Marines, Donna crossed services to the Arizona Army National Guard where she spent the rest of her working career. Her military deployments include multiple assignments along the US/Mexico border as well as an 11-month deployment to the Iraq/Kuwait frontier in support of Operation: IRAQI FREEDOM.
After retiring, Donna and her wife, retired Lieutenant Colonel Patti Sutherland, spent their time traveling the world with each other, and in groups with their tightly-knit circle of friends and family. She volunteered her time and boundless energy to multiple church-related mission activities in her community. Secure in her Christian faith and the afterlife to come, Donna received a terminal diagnosis with uncommon good grace, and changed her focus to passing from this life on her terms. Opting out of life-extending treatment in favor of maximizing quality of life for her remaining days, Donna set about the difficult task of managing her affairs for the last time.
Donna Lee Anderson left this Earthly life too soon, held up in prayer by her loving wife, family and close friends. She is survived by her wife (and partner in all things) Patti Sutherland, sister Gloria Egan, nieces Judy Armijo, Kelly (Brian) O'Kelley, and Teresa (Shaun) Jones, great-nieces/nephews Erin (Chris) LeMieux, Nicole (Connor) Flynn, Megan Jones, Ken O'Kelley, and Nick Jones, sister-in-law Eileen (Tim) Gunter, brother-in-law Reverend Father Bill Sutherland, nieces Kelley (Adam) Majczyk, Gwendolyn McKay (and her son, a light of our lives, Gabriel), nephews Brian (Val) Gunter, Kevin (Jamie) Gunter, and by Max, their ever-faithful puppy. May her memory forever be a blessing.
Donna deeply loved and was loved by her birth family, but the love didn't stop there. Donna and Patti both have been blessed by a decades-long loving relationship with a circle of people that can only be described as "Chosen". When Donna counted her many blessings she included: Gladys, Sandy & Carol, Dee & Barb, Gari & Nan, Lynn & Joan, and many more. Thank you for the blessings that you are.
A counting of Donna's many blessings would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ (SCUCC) where Donna and Patti have been members for many years. More than a church, the people and the clergy there are a loving refuge from problems and noise of the outside world.
A Memorial Service will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local Humane Society.
Posted online on December 06, 2023
Published in The Arizona Republic
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SGT US MARINE CORPS
PERSIAN GULF
Gravesite Details
Interment January 22, 2024
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