Dona Jane Seitsinger

Dona was a force of nature, a one-of-a-kind human, and she was beautiful.

Dona Jane Seitsinger was born on September 13, 1968 in Freeport, Texas. She grew up in Lake Jackson with her beloved brother Doug. Dona always said she hit the sibling jackpot-and she did. Doug was a loving and constant presence in Dona's life, a safe harbor and a best friend.

Dona was the cutest blue-eyed, freckled-faced, curly-haired little girl. She was adventurous and independent from an early age, riding dirt bikes and jet skis before she could drive a car. She met Tammy, her life-long best friend, in kindergarten and they had fifty-two wonderful years of sharing life together. They experienced and loved every version of each other. Tammy remembers countless sleepovers, wrapping houses, laying out on rooftops, passing notes, going to Surfside Beach, prank calls-all the stuff kids experience but 100 times more fun because of Dona. There was just no one else like her. Her gift of connecting people started at a young age and continued throughout her life.

Dona moved to Austin in 1994 and built a long and successful career in tech sales at Dell, where coworkers and customers adored her. It was there that she met Mike DiTore, and together they welcomed two beautiful daughters, Stella and Fiona. Later, Dona launched a real estate brokerage with her sister-in-law, Lee Ann, before purchasing an e-commerce business in 2018. She poured her energy and grit into transforming it from a tactical gear shop into a thriving digital company. In one of those serendipitous life twists, it was that very business that brought Todd Lewis, the love of her life, to her doorstep.

Dona was a beautifully devoted mother. She would tell you her greatest joy - her proudest accomplishment - was being "Mom" to Stella and Fiona. She raised them with her signature mix of energy, humor, and a dash of mischievousness. She was at every school event, Girl Scout function, soccer game, swim meet and lacrosse tournament. If something needed doing, Dona did it. She was "The Fun Mom" to all the other kids in the neighborhood. The golf cart rides, swim parties and best snacks are the memories of many of her girls' friends. And long after those kids grew up, Dona would check in on them like they were her own.

Dona was a beautifully loyal friend. If Dona loved you, you were in for life. She was loyal in the fiercest way: the friend who called daily during your hardest season, the one sitting next to you in the hospital waiting room, the one who showed up without being asked. Dona loved her friends well, through thick and thin, because of and in spite of any mistakes or shortcomings.

Dona was beautifully-sometimes shockingly-authentic. She was open, direct and completely uninterested in pretending to be anyone other than exactly who she was. A friend remembers the first time they met. Dona told her she was wearing her bra-that she had taken it from a drawer and put it on-and then proceeded to introduce herself while grinning from ear to ear. She'd tell you if the pants weren't flattering or that a choice you made was not in your best interest. She would voice the thing that everyone was thinking but no one had the courage to say.There was something so pure about this trait. Her beautiful honesty kept the people around her accountable. She made us all better humans.

Dona was beautifully hilarious. She had everyone around her in stitches, the kind of side-splitting, belly-aching, tears-streaming-down-your-face laughter that made your day. She saw the world through an amazingly hilarious lens. Dona's storytelling was EPIC. She would even troll her friends in the funniest of ways, always starting with her famous line, "I super love you, but.....". Humor was her towering strength. Even as she battled cancer and was under hospice care, she was making everyone laugh. She would take a breath between bouts of nausea to crack a joke so that those around her would stress less about their precious friend dying. Who does that? Only Dona.

Dona was beautifully full of grace. She made everyone in her orbit feel seen and loved. She forgave easily. She was your biggest fan. Dona would give the shirt off her back to help someone, and she often did. Throughout her real estate career she had many loyal clients and she would often charge little to no commission to help friends buy a home or get out of a bad situation. She was selfless and good to the core. It wasn't ever about her and yet we all knew she was the sun around which we were blessed to orbit.

Dona was beautifully brave. She overcame many challenges with determination and grit. Dona never gave cancer the opportunity to own her narrative. After a diagnosis of advanced kidney cancer in 2024, she sought treatment and bought herself one of her greatest years. She traveled with Todd, savored time with Stella and Fiona, and filled her days with the conversations and connections she cherished. Dona believed that Heaven was here on Earth. Time spent in nature brought her peace and her love for animals was as enduring as her love for people. She realized, and reminded us all, how very rich she was - in love, in family, in friendship, in experience.

Dona is survived by her precious daughters, Stella DiTore and Fiona DiTore; brother Doug Seitsinger, sister-in-law LeeAnn Seitsinger, nephew Beck Seitsinger; loving partner Todd Lewis; life-long best friend Tammy Cornor; numerous cousins; the DiTore Family; and more friends than can be counted.

Our deepest condolences if you did not have the chance to know and love our Dona.

So many people are bravely battling cancer and Dona always remarked that not all of them were as supported and loved as she was, by her community and family. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you honor Dona by doing something kind for someone else battling cancer - Text them with encouragement, call them and make them laugh, sit with them during chemo infusions, hug them like you mean it, or send them a door dash gift card. And when you do so, think of Dona.

Please join us for a celebration of Dona's wonderful life:

Saturday October 18th, 2025

2pm - 5pm

Mesa Rosa

15515 Ranch Road 620

Austin, Texas 78717