Donna Jean Hanna (Sabin) passed away peacefully on 9/27 at her son’s home in Bay View after a long struggle with pulmonary disease at the age of 83. During the last five weeks of her life she had a steady stream of visiting family & friends plus enjoyed the view from her room of many a beautiful sunset, the ever changing tide of Padilla Bay, & a wide variety of birds at the feeders outside her windows.
Donna was born in Cimarron, KS in 1933 to Claire & Gladys Hanna. She was the sixth of eight children (Constance, Donald, Doris, Lucille, Gertrude, Joan & Deanna). Her sister Deanna King, brother-in-law Jack McKee, sons, daughters, grandchildren, a great-grandson, a great-great-grandson, & many nieces and nephews survive her.
Donna & Kermit King were the proud parents to five bright, accomplished & loving children (Steven, Barbara, Jeffrey, Pamela, & Beth). Her legacy includes five children, nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren & one great-great-grandchild : son Steven King (wife Sue), granddaughters Spring (husband Will) & Summer, & great-granddaughters Shaylene & Kourtney; daughter Barbara Greenwood (husband Jeph), grandsons Justin & Ryan (wife Ashley); son Jeffrey King; daughter Pamela Vandecoevering (husband Ron), grandsons Ethan & Ben, great-grandson Justin, granddaughter Carissa (husband Brent); & daughter Beth DeWolf (husband Greg), grandson Andrew (wife Rachel) & granddaughter Kayla.
Donna’s parents fled the KS dustbowl in ’35 & moved to WA when she was two years old. The young family settled in Clear Lake. She married Kermit King in ’53. Besides living in KS, HI, OR & WA she enjoyed traveling to revisit these states, but ultimately settled in Mt. Vernon. The Community Covenant Church in Clear Lake was her place of worship. She taught Sunday school, attended Bible study, & sat in the “Hanna Sisters” pew for service. When the kids were young she was active in PTA & was a Brownie leader.
She worked in retail, hospital & electronics office positions, & the Skagit County elections office. She also enjoyed bird watching, working in her garden, shopping with her sister Gertrude, reading, listening to music, & taking drives in the Skagit County countryside. But her greatest joy was spending time with her family & friends.
Donna will be warmly remembered for her fierce independence, dry sense of humor, & good times with her loving family & fond friends. “Celebration of Life” will be held on Fri, 10/7, 1p.m. at Creekside Community Living, 400 Gilkey Rd, Burlington. Condolences to the family can be sent to Steven King, 12343 Bay View Cemetery Rd, Mt. Vernon WA 98273.