Contributions to the tribute of Donna Rae Gavlick

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Gene Moyer posted a condolence

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Everybody has multiple memories of people who were special to them. One of my best memories of Donna Gavlick was September 7th, 2002 when the two of us settled into my canoe and took an extensive float-fishing trip on the upper Delaware River. It was a flawless day of clear sky, bright sun--and cooperative fish. Donna reveled in the beauty of the day, as we each caught many fish, enjoyed the gentle currents of the Delaware, and shared a lot of laughter. When I look back on those hours spent on the Delaware that day, the best part of it was the shared joy that we each gave to the other. We were co-workers. The day was one of platonic friendship between the two sexes. There was none of the awkwardness or emotional baggage that sometimes comes along with deeper relationships. We were each free to enjoy the surroundings and attributes of the day without anything more complicated than what was around us--water, sun, trees, and fish. We ate lunch along the river, and toward the end of the trip, tired but pleased, we came across a beaver lodge. I navigated toward the beaver lodge ( which was on the opposite bank of the river ) in order to give Donna a close-up view of the lodge and one of its inhabitants. Donna was visibly excited by this final small treat on what had been a very good day. We then hauled my canoe back onto the opposite bank, and headed back toward our respective homes, which were a considerable distance from the Delaware. Donna arrived at her house first. I lived to the far north of Donna, and did not get back to my own house till well after Donna had arrived at her house. Because of this, my wife, always worried about my safety whenever I took such float trips, called Donna's house to see if all was well. My wife had important news to convey to me. My mother had died unexpectedly that morning. This was before mobile cell-telephones had become ubiquitous--my wife had no way of contacting me that day while Donna and I were out on the water. So Donna actually knew my mother had died before I did. That is why I remember the exact date of the day so many years later. During this time in her own life, my wife was teaching English to foreign students at a local university. As part of her teaching, she often gave these people from distant countries tests in the form of short stories. She would have them read the story, then analyze its themes and characters etc. I wrote a short story for my wife's students ( anonymously, of course ), and it was used by my wife as a final exam several times in her teaching years. The title of the story was: "Donna and the Beaver Lodge." But this memory is about Donna, not me. The point I want to make about this memory is the following: Donna was a large part of the delight on the Delaware that day. That sense of shared delight inspired me sufficiently to write the story for those foreign students. So, though she may not have known it at the time, she was indirectly--perhaps obliquely is the better word--touching people whom she didn't even know, people from many different countries who were just learning the language of English. By extension, I think that Donna touched many people in such a way, and in a way more deeply than she might have realized. In her life, she impacted a relatively large number of people with good memories, and those memories will endure as a kind of abstract form of love, reflections of her essential self. Anytime you've met a person in your life who has given you the gift of good memories, you feel greatly diminished by news of his or her death. I, Gene Moyer, only a co-worker of Donna's, feel greatly diminished this day as I reflect upon her death. I truly wish for both Donna's sake and the sake of her family and extended circle of friends, that she was still around to enjoy the various experiences that life can give. My final sentence is one of tribute: Donna: You were smart, hard-working, and yes, good-looking; but most importantly, you were kind.

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emily Longenecker posted a condolence

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

I’m so sorry for your loss ! Love the Longeneckers

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William Jeffery posted a condolence

Monday, December 11, 2023

I started working as a temp employee at Offset Paperbacks in 2002 fresh from graduating college. As I was only filling in for an employee for a short while, there was no need for Donna to have been so kind to me. And, looking back, the possibility of becoming friends seems so unlikely. We were of a different social class, gender, backgrounds, and generations. Yet Donna became one of my closest friends for over 20 years. She was my biggest supporter, the one I looked most forward to seeing and talking to and laughing with. Her kindness and optimism was infectious. As was her fearlessness in sharing how much she cared about someone. I’ve met many good people in my life, but I can honestly say that I became a better person just from knowing her. I am so grateful for the times we shared and consider it an unparalleled privilege to have had her as a friend. I will miss her forever.

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Love, Your All About Women Family purchased flowers

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Love, Your All About Women Family

purchased the Beautiful in Blue for the family of Donna Gavlick. Send Flowers

Dear Gavlick Family, We are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

A Memorial Tree was planted for Donna Gavlick

Friday, December 8, 2023

We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Curtis L. Swanson Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

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The family of Donna Rae Gavlick uploaded a photo

Friday, December 8, 2023

Donna Rae Gavlick

1944 - 2023

Plant a tree in memory of Donna