Remembering Donna Lee (Zumwalt) Cooper
10:12 PM · Sep 15, 2022Donna Lee (Zumwalt) Cooper passed away on Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 in Roseburg, Oregon, after a short battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. She was born on September 26th, 1960 in Milwaukie, Oregon to Ed and Pat Zumwalt, and is survived by her husband, her two children, and her five siblings. Donna retired in 2019 from her 34-year teaching career, which included time teaching Special Education as well as elementary school grades, with the majority of her career being spent at Hucrest Elementary School. She was also involved in the Special Olympics and Girl Scouts programs. She touched the lives of at least 2,500 students during her career, and was a tireless advocate for the youth of her community. Donna enjoyed her retirement by volunteering at the Douglas County Cancer Services, dedicating her time and effort to a cause very close to her heart. She also enjoyed doing puzzles, traveling with her friends, and spending time with her family. A Celebration of Life will be held on October 2nd, 2022 at 1:00 PM in Cascade Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Douglas County Cancer Services.
This last week we lost an incredible member of our community when Donna Cooper passed away. Donna was a beloved teacher and impacted over 2,500 students lives, most at Hucrest Elementary School. I was one of those students and was fortunate to have Donna as my 5th-grade teacher 25 years ago. That year, poor Donna had four troublemakers in her class, myself included. We made her job extra difficult, and yet she always treated us with kindness. We always knew she wanted what was best for us. I felt bad about how I behaved in her class for over 20 years. Then, in 2018 our family moved back to Roseburg and as fate would have it, we moved in right across the street from the Coopers. Donna and her husband Joe were there for us when our daughter was born in 2019, when my Dad went through Alzheimer's and passed away, during holidays, over meals, and were always loving on our kids. We became friends. Our girls put on a play one day and she and Joe came and sat in our front yard cheering them on. It's hard to describe how fortunate my family feels to have had Donna in our lives. She was a beautiful person inside and out. We love you Donna, and will miss you tremendously! 🥲 ❤️ Our deepest condolences to Donna's family, friends, and all who knew her! 🙏
Sep 16, 2022