Our loving wife, mother, grandmother, great and great-great grandmother, Donna Loree Smith Waters, peacefully returned to her eternal home during the early hours of May 21, 2020. Donna was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 22, 1931, to Ralph Wellington Smith and Rachel Lucy Doner. She graduated early from West High School and later attended LDS Business College. She was employed by Zions Bank as an executive assistant.
She married her sweetheart, Allen Berdean (Dean) Waters on November 26, 1951, at the Lion House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Later sealed as an eternal family in the Salt Lake Temple, April, 1964. Together Dean and Donna lived on the family farm in a small home Dean built adjacent to his parent’s home until 1959, when the family moved into their new home on Thornwood Avenue in Taylorsville, Utah. After living in Taylorsville for 29 years, they lived in the home Dean built for Donna in Sandy, Utah for 15 years and then finally retreated to Parkstone gated community in Draper, Utah. They were happily married for almost sixty years before Dean’s death in 2011.
Donna faithfully served for ten years on the Primary General Board for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, under the leadership of Primary General President Naomi M. Shumway. She traveled the world on behalf of children, supporting Primary and its programs.
Donna was a dedicated mother first and foremost. She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. She especially loved her role as grandma, great grandma, and great-great grandma. She had a vivacious personality and always made people around her laugh and also feel comfortable and most of all, accepted. She easily made friends everywhere she went, serving others unselfishly, always donating her time and talents to assist others.
She loved camping with her family and preparing family dinners. Her kitchen table was always adorned with the beautiful summer roses she expertly grew in her garden. Her signature color was purple/lavender. For many years, Dean and Donna spent the winters creating many wonderful memories with his siblings in St. George, Utah.
Donna is survived by her daughter Lonnie Loree (Steven) Riggs, and sons, Allen Blake (Tina) Waters, Rodney Bryan (Tammy) Waters, Roger Benson (Sherrie) Waters, Brent Elder, 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. Her husband, parents, three brothers, one sister, two grandsons, and one granddaughter precede her in death. Donna longed to reunite with her husband and now they can begin sharing eternity together.
The family expresses deepest appreciation to the staff and administration of Sagewood at Daybreak Retirement Community in South Jordan, Utah, for their professional, and always patient and loving, care given to Donna during her last few years.
Due to the COVID restrictions, a funeral service and graveside dedication will be held for immediate family. A celebration of Donna’s life will be scheduled when the restrictions are removed. Please share a memory or thought at larkincares.com