Donna Keast

Donna Keast was a vivacious woman with a tremendous zest for life who like a spectacular sunrise, brought light and life to all those who were in her presence. She colored the world with the diverse facets of her personality just by being who she was each and every day. Donna was passionate about music and a gifted musician herself, but she viewed her family as her greatest accomplishment as she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. The 1920s are commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties and were an exciting time within the culture of our nation as jazz was hot. Americans were prosperous during this time and people were looking for ways to enjoy themselves, often packing clubs nightly to listen to the smooth sounds of jazz live. Earl and Edith (Noss) Parsons, of Lansing, Michigan were looking forward to their own exciting time within the landscape of their family as well; as Edith was due to give birth to their fourth child at any time. They were indeed blessed on April 16, 1929 with the healthy birth of their daughter, Donna Virgene. Joining older brother Lawrence and older sisters Ione and Vivian, Donna was blessed with a fun childhood during a time of struggle for many American families as our nation had become gripped by the Great Depression, which lasted nearly a decade. Donnas father was able to adequately provide for his family as a talented decorator in the Lansing area, even decorating lavish movie theatres, which allowed Edith to stay home and care for the children. As a student, Donna attended area schools where she was a good student who excelled in spelling and writing and she developed beautiful penmanship too. During her younger years, Donna learned to play the piano, organ, and accordion. One summer she and a group of other young people traveled with a local rodeo where she played her accordion, providing entertainment for the crowd. Donna eventually graduated from Lansing Eastern High School and continued her education at Michigan State University for a few years. Fate intervened in Donnas life one evening when she attended a dance and met a young man named Walter Bud Keast who had just returned from serving his country in the Navy during WWII. Although it was not love at first sight for Donna, Buds persistent pursuit of her eventually paid off and his charm managed to win her over. The two began dating and later fell deeply in love and were united in marriage in October of 1949. Soon the newlyweds were blessed with the births of five children: Greg, Jeff, Paul, Christian, and Karen. Donna completely embraced her role as a mother and flawlessly balanced caring for the needs of her children with her work with the Michigan Department of Transportation. She worked her way up with MDOT, eventually earning the position of office manager for the Grand Rapids office. Donna would continue to work for MDOT for over 30 years before retiring. It was important to Donna that she share her passion for music and the arts with her children, and she often made these interests a part of everyday life around the Keast household. She had a huge collection of albums and her children fondly recall Music Sundays, when their mother would put on her big band or jazz albums for them to listen to or they would sometimes watch Leonard Bernstein concerts on television. Sometimes Donna would take her children to concerts featuring popular headliners of the day such as Count Basie, Stan Kenton, and Tony Bennett among many others. At times, Donnas children were a bit reluctant to their immersion into the music world, but eventually they all embraced this lifestyle for themselves and became involved in the worlds of art or music in some way or another. Donna was thrilled to see her children enjoying her passion and she even endured Gregs loud garage band rehearsals! Donna kept up with her own piano and organ playing as well and although she played predominantly for her own enjoyment, she occasionally sat in for a few numbers with the Jazz Combo at the Piano Factory in Grand Haven. There were many precious memories that the Keast family made together throughout the years. In the 1960s their family moved to Grand Haven where they lived just a block away from the beach. They loved going camping together, sometimes to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where they walked the Mackinaw Bridge. Donna was especially fond of camping in Pentwater even though they lived in close proximity to the beach themselves. When they were camping, Donna was a stickler for keeping the tent free from sand and during later years, they camped in motor homes as well. During their retirement years, Donna and Bud wintered in Hudson, Florida for several years where they established close friendships with other couples. When grandchildren arrived, Donna delighted in them just as she had with her own children and she especially liked taking them camping. Donna also became a big fan of the Green Bay Packers and especially of quarterback Brett Favre, rarely missing a televised game. Life became more difficult for Donna and those that love her when she was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease several years ago. For a number of years she received treatment and battled against the disease while Bud tenderly cared for her. When he was no longer able to provide the care she needed, Donna moved into Riverside Nursing Home. While living there she received the medical attention that she needed and was under the spiritual care of Fr. Bill Langlois from St. Patricks as well. Eventually, her fight against the disease became too much for Donna and she died surrounded by her loving family. Whether she was bringing joy to others through her spectacular musical talents or simply her warm demeanor, Donna Keast was a blessing to all who knew and loved her. She was a fun-loving woman who was devoted to her family and loved just spending as much time with them as she could. She lived each day to its fullest, embracing both the peaks and valleys along lifes journey. Donna was an enchanting woman who spent a lifetime making precious memories that will be forever treasured by all those she leaves behind. She will be deeply missed. Donna V. Keast died Monday, April 13, 2009. Donnas family includes her husband, Walter "Bud" Keast; sons, Greg (Patty) Keast of Lansing, Jeff (Dona) Keast of TX, Paul (Tim Bang) Keast of Reese, Christian (Jill) Keast of Fruitport; daughter, Karen Keast of Spring Lake; grandchildren, Nicole, Shannon, Steve, Jonathan, Alex, Sean, Amanda, Kent, Tiffany; and several great grandchildren. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. 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