Donna Marie Harper

Dover, New Hampshire-Donna Marie Harper, 60, died peacefully Aug. 3, 2007, at her home in Dover where she has resided for the past three years. She was born in Winthrop Massachusetts on June 18, 1947, the daughter of Donat and Florence (Donahue) Parent, of South Berwick, Maine.

Donna grew up in South Berwick, where she attended Saint Michael’s School and South Berwick High School (Class of 1965). After high school she married Larry Don Harper in 1967. They settled in Texas where Donna started her writing career, working as an Editor with a yearbook publishing firm. In 1972, following a divorce from her husband, Donna moved back East to Washington, D.C. It was there that she began a 32-year career in government service, starting as an Aide to Sen. Charles H. Percy. She was quickly promoted to the position of Deputy Press Secretary where she remained until 1976, when she moved to the House of Representatives as Press Secretary to U.S. Rep. Henry J. Hyde until 1987.

In the early 1980’s Donna was briefly married to Mordechai Yitzhaky of Jerusalem, Israel. Their daughter Katherine (Kayti) was born in Washington, D.C. in February of 1983. From 1987 to 1988 under the Reagan-Bush administration, Donna was the Director of Public Affairs and Congressional Relations for the White House Conference for a Drug-Free America.

In 1988 Donna joined the U.S. Small Business Administration as Assistant Director of Media Services in Washington. Then in 1994, she relocated with her daughter to Concord, N.H., where she took over in the SBA district office as Public Information Officer. Throughout her career Donna met and worked with many world leaders and dignitaries, including Mother Teresa. She loved writing, reading, particularly American History, and she was an avid gardener and cook.

Following Kayti’s graduation from Keene State College in 2005, Donna retired and relocated to Dover, N.H.. In 2000 Donna was diagnosed with cancer, and despite the limited prognosis of 5 years given by her doctors, Donna showed incredible courage and determination to survive.

Throughout her life she enjoyed travel and made an effort to take Kayti to see England, France and Italy during periods of remission after her diagnosis. She not only lived to see her daughter Kayti graduate from college and marry Jack Smith of Yuma, AZ., but also to see her beautiful granddaughter Ava come into the world. Donna celebrated Ava’s first birthday in May. Although Donna’s health continued to deteriorate this past year, the close proximity of Kayti, Jack and Ava, made her last year of life one of her most rewarding.

Donna was predeceased by her parents, Florence and Donat Parent, her older brother Michael Parent in 1985, and her younger sister Kathleen Palin in 2006. In addition to her daughter Kayti Smith, son-in-law Jack and granddaughter Ava, she is survived by her sister Mary Weston and husband Robert, of Windham, Maine, and their daughter Robin of Lexington Mass.; a brother, John Parent and his wife Barbara, and their children, Patrick, Christina and Haley of Loudon, N.H.; a brother-in-law, Ted Palin and a nephew, Theodore of Quincy Florida. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Jane Parent of Wilmington, N.C., and nephews Michael Parent of Moorpark, Calif., Timothy Parent of Wilmington, N.C. and James Parent of Wilmington, N.C. and their families.

There will be no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, August 12, at 2 P.M. at the First Parish Federated Church, 150 Main St., South Berwick, Maine. Flowers may be sent to the church at the above address.

Please go to www.mcintiremccooey.com for more information or to sign the on-line guest book.