Donna Marie Ruddell, 77, died peacefully in her sleep Wednesday, March 24, 2010, while visiting Henderson, Nev.
She was born Jan. 14, 1933, in Lewiston, the daughter of Jacob and Ruth Skinner. Donna graduated from Lewiston High School in 1950. She was active in majorettes and a member of the National Honor Society. After high school, she attended Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane, graduating in 1953.
She married George Ruddell on Sept. 18, 1954, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Lewiston. They were married for 55 years.
Donna worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital until she needed to be a full-time mom for her four boys. She worked as office manager at Ruddell Chiropractic Clinic for 23 years before retiring. She was very active in the Beta Sigma Phi sorority. She loved to golf and enjoyed traveling, fishing for kokanee on Coeur d’Alene Lake and being with her children. Donna was a wonderful wife, mother, sister, grandmother and mother-in-law. She enjoyed life to the fullest, and we will miss her.
In addition to her husband, George Ruddell, she is survived by sons Steve Ruddell and his wife Denise, Greg Ruddell, Brian Ruddell and his wife Melody, and Kevin Ruddell, all of Lewiston; her brother, Thomas Skinner and his wife Pam of Clarkston; her sisters, Debbie Petticolas and her husband Ken of Hayden, Idaho, and Becky Stimak and her husband Mike of Cadillac, Mich.; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the charity of your choice. A vigil service will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, also at Our Lady of Lourdes.