Donna Louise Alexander

Donna Alexander of Gulfport, Mississippi died Monday, July 23, 2012 of Legionnaires' Disease, a type of pneumonia. She was born May 26, 1945 to Dorothy Morgan in Medford, MA and adopted as an infant by Francis and Ethel Buckley of West Medford. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in North Cambridge, MA.
In her lifetime, Donna enjoyed bowling, ham radio, and arts and crafts. In her earlier years, Donna was so highly skilled in bowling she was qualified to train and certify bowling coaches. Being a woman in a predominately male hobby, she had an edge in ham radio - when men from around the world heard a feminine voice, they would call her over other male voices. This delighted her and she had contacts from nearly every country in her logbook. Donna was especially skilled in crochet. She had a spare bedroom converted into floor to ceiling shelves for her yarn and craft materials. Donna made innumerable baby sets and blankets, and donated hundreds of crocheted stocking-cap hats to the homeless. She loved music and played piano for a time at church.
Donna was a member of Bel-Aire Baptist Church of Gulfport for many years. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and friend and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Though we will miss Mom, we will continue to love her and will rejoice in the knowledge she is no longer in pain and is now with our Heavenly Father.
Donna is survived by Steve Alexander, her husband of thirty-five years, two sons Mike (Mindy) Alexander of Gulfport, Scott (Liz) Alexander of Bowling Green, KY, stepson Stephen (Josal) Alexander of La Quinta, CA, stepdaughter Rebekah (Scott) Blakley of Chino Valley, AZ, six grandchildren, and another on the way. She was preceded in death by her natural and adoptive parents, her sister Barbara Buckley of W. Medford MA, and her granddaughter Laylanee Louise Alexander of Portland, TN.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 26, 2012 from 10 - 11 am at the RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Three Rivers Rd., Gulfport. Services will be held at 11 AM Thursday in the funeral home chapel followed by burial at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens on Carl Legett Road, Gulfport.
Bye, Mom. Radio station KA5OER is off the air.
Online tributes may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com