Donna Jean Doolittle

1955 - 2022

Donna Jean (Carroll) Doolittle, 67, passed away on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. Her two-year journey with pancreatic cancer ended peacefully at UnityPoint-St. Luke's Hospital. A visitation will be held at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, from 4 to 6 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories on Friday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. with Pastor Jonathan Heifner of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church officiating. A livestream of the service will be offered on the Cedar Memorial website under Donna’s obituary video tab. Interment will follow. In honor of Donna, casual attire is welcome to all services. Donna was born on Aug. 5, 1955, in Harlan, Iowa, to the late Wilbur and Dorothy (Schultz) Carroll. She was raised a farm girl by helping to plant and harvest crops, bale hay and garden, but her most memorable childhood chore was chasing geese and ducks off the pond. She hated goose pizza! She became quite the skilled gardener and preserver, winning first in the state and second in the nation for food preservation in high school. She enjoyed playing trombone in the high school marching band, playing guitar and singing. She earned her RN from Jennie Edmundson College of Nursing in 1976 and began her nursing career at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics before joining St. Luke's in Cedar Rapids. She dedicated her career to St. Luke's Hospital for 42 years, mostly on the Cardiac Rehab floor, where she loved her work, colleagues and patients. In 1976, she met Jim Doolittle at her best friend’s wedding by pinning a corsage on him and saying, “you must be Jim." They married on Aug. 12, 1978, in Avoca, Iowa, and shared many laughs together over 44 years of marriage while raising three daughters, hiking mountains in Colorado and making many Clear Lake cabin pancake breakfasts. She enjoyed gardening, canning, reading and playing in her church’s bell choir for 17 years, but her greatest joy was spending time with her family, especially her beloved grandchildren. Those left to cherish Donna’s memory are her husband, Jim Doolittle; daughters, Sarah (Adam) Doolittle Evanschwartz, Gwendolyn Doolittle and Emily (Jacob Guelff) Doolittle; grandchildren, Noah, Chavah, Aryeh, Henry and “one on the way,� all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and brother, Dwight Carroll of Harlan, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents and two siblings, Diane Roos and Duane Carroll. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church bell choir. The family would like to thank the entire staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, UnityPoint-St. Luke’s Hospital, and UnityPoint Hospice for all the love and support they showed Donna while she was in their care. Condolences for the family may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.