Maureen Patricia Donis

Maureen Patricia Donis, 96, passed away on May 18, 2023, at the Oceanside Nursing Home with her family by her side. She was born September 1, 1926, to Norah P. White and Maurice White in South Hampton, England. Maureen is also known as Sheila as her father never liked the name Maureen and always called her Sheila.
Maureen is survived by her daughters, Annette (Dennis) Douberteen, Savannah, GA, and Hellen Donis-Keller, Boston, MA; sons, Nicholas (Pam) Donis, Edwardsburg, MI, and Bruce (Terri) Donis, Atlanta, GA; 16 grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren; her former sister-in-law Diane Finn, Fort Collins, CO, and brother-in-law Peter Donis, Peoria, Il.
She is preceded in death by her parents Norah and Maurice White, and her son Andy Donis.
In 1945 she married her former husband Jack Donis and moved to Madison Wisconsin, then to Elkhart which was her home for 66 years. While in Elkhart, Maureen taught dancing lessons, everyone loved the many types of dance lessons she taught at the YMCA.
Maureen always loved the theater as her parents were famous vaudeville performers in England. So, it was natural that she would be active in the Elkhart Civic Theatre, located in Bristol, Indiana. She starred in and directed 40 productions. Her favorite was "I Can't Hear You When the Water is Running." She was with the theater from 1959 until 1976.Maureen also worked at the Elkhart General Hospital as an OB technician from 1969 to 1976 where she helped deliver her granddaughter Nicole Hardy-Pagels.
In her later years with the move to Savannah, she continued her love of painting and joined an art class at 95. She loved watching all the birds at her many bird feeders and could name all the species. Her constant companion was Sammy, her cat. She was a lover of animals and had as many animals as grandchildren throughout her lifetime.