Donna Dorothy DeVore Priest

Priest, Donna Dorothy DeVore, was born on July 6, 1909, in Great Bend, Kansas. Following her graduation she worked at the high school for several years as secretary to the principal. It was her intent to pursue an acting career in college when her father, Earl, an Indianapolis 500 race car driver returned from a race in South America. Sadly, his ship went down on that voyage and he was lost at sea. Her only sibling, Bill DeVore, was also a well known racer. She met and later married her husband, Herbert Priest. They traveled across the United States and settled with their young daughter, Kay, and Donna's mother, Blanche, in Portland, Oregon. Donna was very active in her church and community. She sang in the choir, was president of the PTA, and Garden Club, and was a devoted Girl Scout leader. Their second daughter, Ann, was born in 1948. The family moved to Northern California and lived in Castro Valley where Donna worked as an administrative assistant in the Social Services Department of an Oakland hospital. After she retired, Donna travelled extensively, enjoyed dancing, painting, and took several classes through the local college. She moved to Mission Viejo in 1990 and purchased a home across the street from her oldest daughter, Kay. Donna immediately became involved in the Senior Center in Mission Viejo and made many new friends. She drove until she was 95 and remained in very good health. She enjoyed a full and active life with her friends and family. Donna was a beautiful and elegant person both physically and spiritually. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was great fun, and was very intelligent. She had a supreme capacity for love and forgiveness. She is survived by her daughters, Kay Stevens and Ann McDonald; her son-in-laws, Jim Stevens and Mark McDonald, her grandchildren, Dana and her husband, Ron Jiron, Tod and his wife, Debby Stevens, Ryan Cox, Ian Gabbard, and Niles McDonald. Her great grandchildren are Suzanne Pothier, Demirese and Gabriel Jiron Funeral services are Thursday, October 28, at 1:00 p.m. at McCormick and Son in Laguna Hills on Moulton Parkway. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.