D'Ondria Sherylair Simon

“A light that shined bright enough for everyone to feel.”

D’Ondria Simon was born on January 31, 1991, in Harvey, Illinois, a radiant soul whose eyes, laughter, and love lit up every room she entered. To her family and friends, she was affectionately known as “Donni” or “Dee”, the one with the eyes and smile that could turn any hard day around, the one who always made time for those she loved, and the one whose quiet strength lifted everyone around her.

D’Ondria’s life was a reflection of faith, family, and compassion, values she carried in every season of her journey. Raised in Warner Robins, Georgia, she made a personal commitment to her faith through baptism at a very young age, anchoring her life in God’s love and grace. Her faith became the foundation for how she lived, loved, and served others.

A proud graduate of Northside High School and the Houston County Career and Technology Center, D’Ondria carried her determination and compassion into adulthood. She found joy and purpose in her work as a Supervisor in Pueblo, Colorado, near her father, where she was respected for her compassion and care for others. Later, she chose to step down to an Assistant Supervisor role, allowing her to be closer to her maternal family, a reflection of her deep commitment to staying connected to those she loved most.

To know D’Ondria was to witness grace in motion. She was a devoted mother to Ava and Ara, a loyal daughter to Shirley and Andrea, and a loving sister, aunt, niece, and best friend whose compassion touched everyone around her. Whether she cared for her children, did her best to be with her family, or simply offered a listening ear to her closest friends, Donni led with a generous heart and a quiet strength that uplifted others. Her resilience was rooted in faith, and her heart was a reflection of God’s love.

Those who knew Donni will remember her radiant eyes, her smile, her laughter, her dances, and the warmth that seemed to follow her wherever she went. Her final act of love was one of extraordinary selflessness. D’Ondria had chosen to be an organ donor, a decision that embodied her lifelong desire to help others. Even in her passing, she gave the gift of life, hope, and healing to a few others, a sacred offering that continues her legacy of compassion.

D’Ondria’s earthly journey came to a peaceful close on October 25, 2025, surrounded by the deep love of her family. Though our hearts are heavy, our faith reminds us that her spirit lives on in the lives she touched, the love she gave, and the legacy of compassion she leaves behind.

She leaves to cherish her memory her husband, James I. Robinson Jr.; her two beautiful children, Ava and Ara Robinson; her parents, Shirley Lane-Payne and Emmons Payne Jr. (Reynoldsburg, OH), and Andre Simon and Cecilia Simon (Pueblo, CO); her brothers, Victor Lane (Reynoldsburg, OH) and Tony Lane Sr. (Schertz, TX); her sister, Markita Nathaniel (Reynoldsburg, OH); her nieces, Nyjah, Jasmine, Vyasiah, Quiera, Zya, and Nevaeh; her nephews, Jaydan, Tony Jr., Brycen, and Princeton; and a host of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends who will forever celebrate her life and legacy.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Sadie O’Brien, Charlie Lane, Loretta Simon, and Titus Simons, and her first nephew, Qui Ari M. Lane.