| Graduation Year | Class of 1948 |
| Date of Passing | Feb 14, 2023 |
| About | A gathering of family and friends to celebrate the life of Donna Rae Spence, age 92, of Newark, will be on Tuesday, February 14 from 9-11 a.m. at The Newark Chapel of Henderson-Van Atta-Stickle Funeral & Cremation Service, 59 N. Fifth Street, Newark. A private family burial will take place at a later time in Zanesville Memorial Park. Donna was born on April 20, 1930 to the late Gerald and Iola (Koonts) McQuaid in Zanesville, Ohio. Duchess, as her high school friends called her, was witty and artistic. She pursued her interests in art as a student at Zanesville High School where she also worked as an Office Aid. She enjoyed sewing, painting, and crafts of all kinds. She worked at her mother’s restaurant in McConnelsville, The Sunset, where she learned to cook from one of the best. Later, Donna helped her mother open a second restaurant in Zanesville, Ike’s Place. Donna worked at The Beverly Dress Shop and as a switchboard operator for Ohio Bell. Donna attended Meredith Business College before marrying her high school sweetheart, Carl Spence. They married on April 10, 1952, following Carl’s return home from the Navy. Donna knew her way around flowers which was evident in the vibrant beds surrounding their home on Gray Street in Zanesville. More recently, Donna served as President of the NorthTowne Senior Community Garden Club. Her sweet tooth was sizable. She always had room for a cookie or Honey Bun. She loved garage sales and was a regular QVC shopper. Her family meant everything to her. She developed close friendships with neighbors in Newark, and in the Capital Health Community where she lived the last 19 years. She is survived by two sons, Daniel (Barb) Spence and Thomas (Sandy) Spence; a daughter, Rebecca (David) Dunaway; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; a brother, James McQuaid; two sister-in-laws, and a host of nephews and nieces. In addition to her parents, Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Ronald Spence. |
