Donna Lou Kilcrease

Beloved mother and friend, Donna Lou Kilcrease, has passed away at the age of 86 after a brief illness. She had the distinction of being the last baby born on December 31, 1938 in Muskegon, Michigan, and passed away on June 28, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. She had struggled with dementia for about the past 5 years.

Her childhood was spent in Muskegon, Michigan until she graduated from St. Jean’s Catholic School in 1957. She was an only child until age 11 when her 3 year old brother, Tom, was adopted. She married William Kilcrease on January 17, 1959. She is survived by her 2 children: daughter, Elizabeth Rista of Ward, Colorado, and son, David Kilcrease, of Paradise Valley, Arizona. She is also survived by her 4 grandchildren: Jonathan Rista and Philip Rista of Aurora, Colorado, and Gregory Rista of Ward, Colorado, as well as her granddaughter, Lindy Kilcrease, of Los Angeles, California.

She had a long and interesting working career beginning with being a hairdresser for an Assisted Living facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan after her kids started school. She then became a Licensed Vocational Nurse after moving with her family to Santa Monica, California in 1969. She also worked as a surgical nurse for a plastic surgeon in Westlake, California. She then learned Medical Transcription and did that for several years before becoming a vocational school teacher where she taught Medical Transcription. She moved to Colorado in 2000 to be closer to her daughter where she continued working as a Medical Transcriptionist until her retirement in 2006.

Donna was a much loved and highly valued friend by many who enjoyed her delightful sense of humor and her ability to listen to and focus on individuals. She was always extremely “other-centered” and always generous with both her time and money. She was very much a “people-person” and was always striving to help others in any way she could. She was loved deeply by her family and will be greatly missed!