OBITUARY - Pope

Donna Kaye Pope, 57, departed us on Monday, October 10, 2011, to live eternally with her Lord and Savior.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, October 22nd followed by a reception at Christ Church Anglican, 3383 Coastal Highway (U.S. Highway 98), Crawfordville, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christ Church Anglican, Florida Wild Mammal Association (www.wakullawildlife.org/), or Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park (http://wakullasprings.org/) in memory of Donna Kaye Pope.

A native of Blountstown, Florida, Donna was a former member of Williams Memorial United Methodist Church and a 1972 graduate of Blountstown High School. After graduating from Chipola Junior College in 1974, and then the University of West Florida in 1976, Donna completed internship in the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) School of Medical Technology in 1979. She worked as a registered medical technologist at TMH and other area hospitals until serving as an environmental scientist with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection until 1996. She was most recently employed by the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) where she served as an Environmental Program Administrator in DOT’s Central Environmental Management Office.

A resident of Crawfordville since 1990, Donna was an active member of the St. Teresa Episcopal Church and then Christ Church Anglican. Donna loved music and among her greatest talents, of which there were many, was to play the piano, keyboard, organ, banjo, or just about anything. Even when her health was increasingly deteriorating, she continued to play accompaniment for the early morning church service and make joyful music unto the Lord.

Survivors include her mother, Vilas Pope, of Blountstown, her brother Jim Pope and his wife Carole Pope of Rockledge, Florida, her devoted friend and caregiver Vicki C. Sharpe of Crawfordville, her extended family which include godparents Guy and Mary O’Donnell of Ft. Lauderdale, and Mike, Christine, and Jessica Beatty of Crawfordville, Adrian Sharpe also of Crawfordville, and many wonderful friends.

Donna greatly treasured the many friendships she had forged in life, and each was considered by her to be a special blessing from God. The family wishes to express their most sincere appreciation to all who helped care for Donna, especially Mary McMahan and Lynn Vickers of Big Bend Hospice in Wakulla County, Father John Spicer of Christ Church Anglican, and to all the friends, family, and fellow church members who visited, called, sent beautiful cards, gifts, flowers, thoughts and prayers throughout her long illness.

Bevis Funeral Home, Harvey-Young Chapel, in Crawfordville is assisting with the funeral arrangements (850-926-3333 or bevisfh.com).