Donna Marie Beattie

Donna Marie Beattie, 94, died January 30, 2024. She was born July 11, 1929, to the late William and Dora Shorkey (Chartier) and was a lifelong resident of Bay City and longtime member of Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi Church. She believed in the power of prayer and said the Rosary regularly. Donna married her husband Robert (Bob) in 1956 and they raised their three children and had a wonderful life together. Donna, who skied in her youth, was once crowned “Miss Bay County Snow Queen” in high school. She had worked as a training supervisor at Bell Telephone in Saginaw before she was married. Donna loved to stay active and enjoyed tennis, bowling and was quite a good golfer, being part of many leagues at the Bay City Country Club over the years. She was also drawn to the water and loved to walk for miles collecting shells and watching the dolphins on beautiful Bonita Beach, on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, where she and Bob were able to spend time many winters once they were empty nesters. Donna had a wonderfully infectious laugh and beautiful smile, making a wide circle of friends throughout her 94 years. She was the organizer. A friend once joked that nobody would know where to sit at their outings if she wasn’t there. If you were Donna’s friend, you were a friend for life. She regularly got together with best friends from high school and her time at Bell Telephone for over 70 and 80 years and she and Bob were members of many card clubs and social groups. Donna also chaired and served on many charitable committees and donated her time to many community organizations.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bob Beattie in 2001, her granddaughter Monica Bossung in 2021, sister Joanna Wells in 2016, niece Jan Hacker in 2015 and nephew Tom Beattie in 2016. Donna is survived by her children Ann (Karl) Bossung, Michael Beattie, and John (Lorine) Beattie, and grandchildren Matthew (Renie) Beattie, Andrew (Natalie) Beattie, Nicole (Eric) Lee and Corrin Beattie, as well as great grandchildren Genevieve and Collin Beattie, Jade, Rose and Hunter Beattie and Brooks and Briggs Lee. Donna is also survived by her sister Betty Hacker, niece & nephew Lynn (John) Maynard, Todd (Saundra) Hacker, niece Sue (Tim) Beattie Brown, nephew Bill Harrison, nephew Jim (Jenette) Harrison, and niece Beth (Lee) Burgess.
The family would like to express their grateful appreciation to the staff at Sheffield Bay Assisted Living and Heartland Hospice for the compassionate care shown to Donna.
Funeral Mass for Donna will be taking place on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. at Corpus Christi Parish with a procession to follow to Calvary Cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. Fr. Thomas McNamara. The family will be present to receive visitors at Gephart Funeral Home on Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday at the Church from 11:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wishes of the Family.