Donna Rae Iffrig

1935 - 2023

Donna Rae Iffrig passed away peacefully on Monday, November 20, 2023 at the age of 88 years.

Donna was born to Orville and Winnie (Ellis) Ayres on March 27, 1935, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Her family moved to Everett, WA shortly after and she stayed in that area for the rest of her life. She graduated from Everett High School in 1953. She met William Iffrig on a blind date and married him a year later, in 1954. Their daughter Susan arrived shortly after that, followed by two sons, Mark and Curt. In 1965, they moved into the house our dad built in Lake Stevens, where they lived for 53 years.

After raising her kids, she went to work for the Lake Stevens School District for 15 years and retired in 1987. She was a long-time member of Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Her favorite hobbies revolved around her home and family. She loved to cook, sew, and decorate and was phenomenally talented at all these things. On the more adventurous side, she also loved camping, hiking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing with her family. At first glance, you might not peg her as an outdoorswoman, but she was deceptively tough. Even when Dad got us in over our heads (not uncommon), she kept a smile on her face and laughed her way through it.

Most of all, our mom loved her family and tirelessly cared for each of us. She was always busy around the house, creating a wonderful home and life for us. But she went beyond that and was there for us in countless other ways. She supported our dad in all his interests, including traveling with him around the country to his races. As kids, she was the foundation of our lives, always guiding, comforting, and encouraging us through everything that came our way. In addition, she was our room mother, 4-H leader, den mother, chauffeur, or whatever else was needed. She made every holiday magical and every birthday special. When her grandkids arrived, she retired from her job to provide daycare and showered them with the full grandma treatment. As her parents got older, she was also there for them. When her mom suffered from memory issues, she visited her almost every day for years. She was always selflessly doing things for us to make our lives better. We were incredibly fortunate to have her in our life.

Our mom loved to visit with family and friends. She was the sweetest person and treated everyone with warmth and kindness. During times spent visiting with her, either around her kitchen table or in her living room, you could sense the joy she felt being there with you, listening to you, laughing with you, and being entertained by even the most mundane story. She would always be jumping up to get more coffee or another cookie for you. She made you feel loved and appreciated. We will always cherish the memories of these precious moments with her and will miss her dearly.

Donna is survived by her husband of 69 years, William Iffrig; two children, Susan (Michael) Shephard, and Mark (Lynnae) Iffrig; 4 grandchildren, Kyrsta (Joshua) Carpenter, Curt (Anna) Iffrig, Eric (Janet) Shephard, Amanda (Brad) Iffrig; and 2 great grandchildren, Brooklyn Basten, and Michael Thurston. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son Curt Iffrig; and brother, Don Ayres.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30pm on January 6th at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Lake Stevens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ebenezer Church Quilters or Hungry Hearts Foundation - Lake Stevens.