Victoria O'Donnell

1938 - 2020

Victoria O 'Donnell

Victoria O'Donnell passed away on March 8, 2020 while on safari in Africa as she embarked on one of her many dream vacations after her retirement from life in academia. She had recently moved to Grand Prairie, Texas from Gallatin Gateway, Montana to live with her son and his family and to be closer to her 2 granddaughters after the passing of her beloved husband of 27 years, Paul Monaco. She was born on February 12, 1938 in Greenburg, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school in Irwin, Pennsylvania, she went to The Pennsylvania State University where she got her B.A. in 1959, her M.A. in 1961, and her PhD. in 1968. She was a professor and department chair of Communication Departments at the University of North Texas and Oregon State University and Professor of Communication and Director of the University Honors Program for 12 years at Montana State University. She also taught in London, England for the American Institute of Foreign Studies in 1988. She is the author of Television Criticism, Speech Communication, Persuasion (with June Kable), and Propaganda and Persuasion (with Garth Jowett and now in its 7th edition) as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals and chapters in books on a wide range of subjects concerning persuasion, the social effects of media, women in film and television, British politics, Nazi propaganda, collective memory, cultural studies theory, and science fiction films of the 1950s. She received numerous research grants, honors, and teaching awards, including being awarded the Honor Professorship at North Texas State University and the Montana State University Alumni Association and Bozeman Chamber of Commerce Award of Excellence. She was also a Danforth Foundation Associate and a Summer Scholar of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She was a visiting lecturer at universities in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Wales.

She was preceded in death by her husband Paul Monaco, her parents, Helen A. and Victor C. O'Donnell, her brother Richard L. O'Donnell, and her beloved son Christopher O'Donnell Stupp. She is survived by her son Browning W. Stupp, granddaughters Elizabeth and Kathleen Stupp, and daughters in law Julie Stupp and Shu Ying Stupp.

Victoria will be remembered for her kindness and compassion that she showed her countless students in her 40 plus years of being a college professor. She loved animals, adopting many. She always had a dog that she cherished, sometimes two or three, and dearly loved her recent dog Gabriel. She was an active member of Intermountain Therapy Animals, taking Gabriel to elementary schools in the Bozeman area and more recently at her granddaughter's school Anna May Daulton in Grand Prairie, TX where children read to him in the R.E.A.D. program. She will be missed profoundly by her family and friends and be remembered always for her grace, compassion and love for life, as a great friend, animal lover, wonderful mother, and a loving grandmother.

Cremation has taken place and there will be no service. Donations in her name may be made to an animal rescue organization of your choice or the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter in Bozeman, Montana.