| Bio | On Wednesday, 30 December 2020, Reverend Donna Lou Hoover, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away at the age of 80 after a month-long battle with COVID-19.
Donna was born on 26 November 1940 in Independence, MO to John Ivan and Olive Mildred Burks. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University and went to Saint Paul School of Theology for seminary. Donna was the pastor at Fairmount United Methodist Church for 16 years, and the associate pastor at Woods Chapel Church - Lee’s Summit for 4.5 years. Donna published her first book, Hoppy: Another Chapter, in 1991, and she published her second book, Hoppy: Once Again, in 1996. She became an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church on 7 June 1998.
Donna served on numerous boards and committees. She was a Sunday School Teacher for 15 years, a CampFire Leader & School Organizer for 10 years, and received the title of Outstanding Young Woman of Independence in 1976.
Though Donna retired at the age of 65, she still did weddings, funerals, and remained active as a Police, Fire, and Hospital Chaplain until her death, but what she loved more than anything else was being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Donna’s defining characteristic was that she showed up for the people in her life. She was the person in your life you could always count on to be there when you called, to take you to the hospital, to offer loving wisdom, to attend your wedding, graduation, or ballet recital, to uproot plans and to show up. Donna looked at all people without judgement, and she and her husband invited those going through a hard time or those in need of a family into their home, gave them food, a bed, and a warm embrace. She had one goal and one goal only — to make you feel loved. Every life Donna touched walked away feeling loved and more whole for one simple reason: Donna knew Love (also known as Jesus), and she lived her life as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Though Donna is no longer earthbound, her memory will be preserved through us when we choose to show up for those the Lord has placed around us. If you never had the pleasure of meeting Donna, I implore you to see Donna in the beautiful pink flowers you pass on a walk in the park or the person who eats all the chocolate and nuts in your house (and when I say “all,” I mean all) or when someone says “warsh” instead of “wash” because that is Donna showing up for you now. Most of all, be the Donna to others that Donna was to you, and never forget the message she shared with us all — Jesus loves YOU dearly and He embraces us spiritually like she embraced us physically.
Donna will be remembered by daughters Sherri Leible and husband Chris of Lee’s Summit, MO; Lucinda Allen of Sherman, TX; Lisa Valency of Carlsbad, CA; Debbie Davenport and husband Larry of Yellville, AR; Brenda Ross of Pembroke Pines, FL; son Steven Hoover and wife Rhonda of Yellville, AR; foster son Daniel Terrell and wife Kelly of Belleview, NE; brother Robert Burks of Blue Springs, MO; 14 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and her German daughter, Alexandra Duenow; plus many other extended family members and friends.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband of almost 52 years, Bobby Ray Hoover, her father, John Ivan Burks, her mother, Olive Mildred Burks, her son, Duane Hoover, her sister-in-law, Barbara Burks, and her two sons-in-law, CB Ross and Darren Valency.
A Celebration of Life will take place at 10am on Friday, May 21st, 2021 at Woods Chapel United Methodist Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. An Inurnment will immediately follow at Mount Washington Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Donna has asked for memorial donations to the following charities: Hope House, Children’s HopeChest, and Cornerstones of Care - Spofford Campus.
Hope House: https://www.hopehouse.net/get-involved/donate-money
Children’s HopeChest: https://www.hopechest.org/Give/
Cornerstones of Care - Spofford Campus: https://www.cornerstonesofcare.org/donate
Until then, follow her example and let God’s light shine through you. |
