Donna Kaye McKee

Donna Kaye McKee lived a life bigger than this world could hold. She was classy. She was fashionable. She was fun. She was witty. She was unique. Her personality could only be described as “that’s Donna K.” She was absolutely fabulous. Donna lit up every room she walked in. She never met a stranger and made friends everywhere she went. If you knew her, you loved her.

Donna was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. She was the second youngest of six sisters and a brother, and the not so happy beneficiary of her older sisters’ hand me downs. This spurred Donna’s penchant for shopping. When she started buying her own…new...clothes, she couldn’t stop. After clothes came purses, shoes, and jewelry. Donna loved and worked very hard so that she and her daughter could enjoy the finer things in life. As much as Donna loved the finer things in life, she loved her family and friends even more. She loved giving gifts (if she gave you a gift you better had worn it). She loved with all she had.  She loved nothing and no one more than she loved her daughter.

Donna left this earth on August 3, 2019, at the age of 64, after a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Donna kept her diagnosis secret because like every aspect of her life, she refused to be defined by anyone or anything, especially cancer. Though fighting cancer, in true Donna fashion, she continued to live life without feeling sorry for herself and refused to have anyone else feel sorry for her. Up through her last days, Donna traveled, her last trip was to New York. When she was in town, she could be found driving her big truck to the casino, mall, nail salon, and hair salon to get touch ups on her newly blond hair.

As much as has been said here, there is so much left unsaid, as Donna was and meant so much more to those who loved her. Donna leaves behind her only child, Janaya Trotter Bratton (Will); niece who was like a second daughter, Gena Foster (Tony); sisters Nina Lindsey, Regina Crawford (Fred), and Anita Gunn (Emmitt); brother LeRoy McKee Jr.; her “peeps” John, Michele, and Chris, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends. Donna’s parents, LeRoy and Bernice Mckee, and sisters Julia Tutt and Tammy Marshall preceded her in death.

Donna wanted those who knew and loved her to remember her as she was. As such, a Celebration of the Life of Donna Kaye McKee will be held in September 2019. The exact details will be provided at a later time.

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