Donna W. Silkworth

Donna W. Silkworth, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of Monday, September 2nd at the age of 89 in her Lake Mary home with her husband and daughter by her side. Born November 9th, 1934 on the family farm in Temple, Georgia, Donna was the second of five children to Gladys and Harlan Waddell. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Atlanta in 1952. An ambitious and independent woman, Donna started working for the Coca-Cola Company right out of high school. Donna was an extremely talented businesswoman with an eye for detail. She spent time as an executive secretary at a law firm and ran the offices for one of Atlanta’s largest developers. Donna was later hired as the first female salesperson for Levi Strauss & Company. She was highly successful at her role and relocated to the Orlando area in 1972, where she would live for most of her life. Donna wanted to see the world and she did! Over her lifetime she visited all 50 states and over 50 countries in six of the seven continents. She and her husband, Robert, joined a private travel club and were with the first group of visitors to China before the diplomatic relationship with the United States was fully restored. Her love of travel and keen business acumen led her to leave Levi’s and open her own travel agency, Adventure’s International, which she eventually sold after expanding to three locations. Donna was a loyal friend and loved to entertain. Their homes were always open, hosting family and entertaining friends and business groups. She was a sharp and fiercely competitive card player and rarely lost at board games. Raised in the church she was a faithful, loyal, and generous servant. She and Robert were founding members of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Longwood, FL. Due to her generosity over the years, hundreds of children were able to have presents under the tree at Christmas or new clothes for the school year. A Celebration of Life will be held on November 9th, 2024 on what would have been her 90th birthday in Gainesville, Georgia close to her siblings. She is survived by her husband Robert Silkworth, siblings Elizabeth Bremmer, Dottie Madison, and James Waddell, multiple nieces and nephews, daughters Candace Whitehead (Mark), Susan Myers, Patti Mosteller (Greg), Grandchildren Faith Myers, Jonathon Whitehead (Michelle), and great-granddaughter Aurora Joy Whitehead Solano. In lieu of flowers, she would ask that you look to your local community for families in need who could use a little help to brighten their children’s day – the way she did in every place she lived.

Donna W. Silkworth

November 9, 1934 - September 2, 2024