Donna Rae Lovejoy

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our beloved Donna Lovejoy on March 2, 2024.  Donna was born on April 12, 1945, in Jackson, Tennessee to James Raymond and Mary Katherine Stone.  At an early age, she moved with her sisters and parents to Jacksonville, Florida, where she grew up and eventually attended cosmetology school.   In the early 1970’s, Donna moved to middle Georgia, where she began her 60-year professional career as a master cosmetologist.  She developed many loving and meaningful relationships with her clients at various local salons, including her first salon, The First Lady, Trendsetters Emporium, and most recently at Salon Suites on Corder.  She met and grew to love hundreds of clients, many of whom she took care of for over 30 years.  Donna’s work was her passion, and she viewed her clients not only as friends, but also as family.  After her retirement in April 2022, she felt a huge void in her heart and truly missed everyone.  During the time Donna was at Trendsetters, she and her colleagues learned of a newly formed organization, Heart of Georgia Hospice.  She helped organize a series of charity fashion shows to benefit Heart of Georgia, using clients as models, and local merchants’ fashions.  Several of these were large enough to be held at the Warner Robins Civic Center, and collectively they raised thousands of dollars.

Donna loved the beach more than anywhere else on earth, and always said that she wished she could be a mermaid.  She spent many hours in her garden, tending to some of the most beautiful plants and flowers in town, even winning a few Yard of the Month awards.  She was devoted to her family, and always enjoyed visits from her grandchildren, spending time in the pool and trying to teach them how to garden.  Being devoted to family members who were avid Georgia and Auburn fans was a struggle, but Donna held fast to her love for the Florida Gators!

Donna was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Mary Medina Kirkland Carpenter.  She is survived by her significant other, Claire Chapman, and Donna’s son, Scott Kirkland of Auburn, AL.  She is also survived by her two sisters, Patricia Maze of Lakeland, FL and Mary Lynn Bassett (Greg) of Gainesville, FL.   Additional survivors include Melissa Chapman Frank (Michael) and sons Joseph, Nicholas, and Andrew, of Gainesville, GA; her grandchildren Halle and Porter Kirkland of Auburn, AL, niece Melissa Adams and nephews Rodney and Michael Holt.

For friends unable to attend at this time, the service will be streamed live via the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mcculloughfuneralhome/live/.

Services will be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at McCullough Funeral Home.  Visitation will be at 10:00am followed by a memorial service at 11:00am.  Flowers will be accepted, as well as donations to Heart of Georgia Hospice, 103 Westridge Drive, Warner Robins, GA 31088.