Donna M. Cook

Donna Marie (VanFossen) Cook died on Monday May 5th, 2025. She was born in Barnesville on December 27th, 1948 to "Vada" Wladyslawa Walczuk and Earl VanFossen.

Donna was loved by her daughter Michele Lynn (Cook) Hunter, her son-in-law Paul Thomas Hunter and especially by her grand-daughter "Ally" Alexandra Peyton Hunter.

Mom did not have an easy life. She was diagnosed with manic depression (bi-polar) and instead of receiving grace and compassion she was mostly met with anger and isolation. Before the diagnosis she was the best Mom any daughter could want. She was patient always looking and engaging when I would shout "Mom look" as I sang songs or made up dances or raced around the house in a plastic sled. She made up hunts for me to find little prizes in the end. She always believed in me.

Mom went back to school to get her Associate Degree in Accounting and loved taking electives like photography and sign language. She was intelligent and had a keen eye for numbers. She could talk to anyone for hours. She went to a Kent State football game with Paul and I. She said she was going to the bathroom and 50 minutes later when she hadn't come back we found her to talking to a stranger like they were old friends. She had a dry, wonderful sense of humor and when she smiled you had to smile with her.

After her diagnosis we had some rough spots but I always knew she loved me. She struggled with health issues living alone in Brilliant and we were so happy when she agreed to move up to Stow to be closer to us. It gave her the chance to have an amazing relationship with Ally.

When the pandemic hit, it was hard on all of us and when she got Covid and spent two weeks in the hospital and we couldn't see her we were terrified but she beat it. Like we always said she was scrappy!

We will miss her more than words can say. We will miss the Monday, Wednesday and Saturday visits. We will miss playing Yahtzee with her. We will miss watching her eat 20 pieces of candy in a single sitting but not ever want to eat her veggies. How she ended up with a family of vegetarians is beyond me but it happened.

We will miss so many little things about her but will always hold a piece of her in our hearts and a lot more other pieces in a jar because she wanted to be cremated.

Mom, you might have died but the love between us never will. Rest easy now and hopefully we will see you again soon.