Donna Elizabeth (Hemsley) Hoover
Donna Elizabeth (Hemsley) Hoover (65), daughter of Commander Donald Edward Hoover and Loraine Coppel Wadkins Hoover, passed away on the morning of July 20, 2019 at her home in Manti after a recent diagnosis of cancer.
She was born in Bainbridge, Maryland. As the daughter of a sailor in the United States Navy, she called many places home during her youth, including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, Pleasanton, and Livermore, California.
As an adult, she kept her adventurous spirit, living in San Jose, Milpitas, and Placerville, California. Life’s adventures and challenges, including children, grandchildren, divorce, and the loss of her own parents resulted in Donna moving and resettling in a number of locations including El Dorado Hills and Rescue, California; Springville, Utah; Phoenix, Arizona; and finally, Manti.
She loved the United States of America and the freedoms she enjoyed living here. She enjoyed her final years in Manti, and chose it for her final resting place. Her travels were many and she loved the places where she lived over the course of her lifetime.
Most of all, she loved her eight children and believed that they were her greatest accomplishments in life. She was a vocal supporter of the right to life and believed that “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). She is survived by her two sisters and one brother: Karen Wadkins Cortez, California; Sandra Wadkins Gruell, South Carolina; and Don Hoover, California, by eight children and their father: Richard Hemsley, California; Melody Hansen, Texas; Jill Mott, England; Teresa Robarts, California; Ryan Hemsley, California; Amy Stewart, California; Justin Hemsley, Arizona; Darren Hemsley, Utah and David Hemsley, Nevada, and by her ten grandchildren.
Donna was involved in family history, both for her own genealogy and volunteering to help others with their research. She enjoyed both creating and appreciating the beauty of art, including gardening.
She loved to dance and enjoyed being part of the Oakland Temple Pageant with her family. She also enjoyed reading and loved great literature. Services to celebrate Donna’s life will be held in both Utah and California. She passed with a firm hope in a glorious resurrection. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her, until we meet again.
