Obituary of Donanna S. McKinstry

Donanna Smith McKinstry passed away peacefully on Oct.4 at St. Luke's hospital surrounded by her loving family. Donanna was born in Eugene, Oregon on Aug. 7, 1937 to J. Don and Ann Smith. Growing up she spent many happy hours outdoors as a teenager fishing with her father on the McKenzie River in Oregon. She graduated from Eugene High School in 1955 and continued her education at Mills College in California before moving on to the University of Arizona where she graduated with honors as a Medical Record Librarian. Donanna then returned to Mills College for advanced training in her chosen field. While working at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California she met her lifelong companion and husband Robert W. McKinstry who was living and working in the bay area. They were soon to be married in Eugene, Oregon on July 2, 1960. After a short period in California, Donanna and her husband decided to move to Twin Falls, Idaho to raise their family. Their first son Mitch was born in 1964 and second son Tom in 1966. Donanna was the perfect stay at home mother raising her family to respect and enjoy life just as she did. After her sons were out to the house, she went back to work for a local veterinary clinic for some time but eventually found her passion and love of work at the College of Southern Idaho where she worked for 25 years in a number of different fields as a full time employee until the time of her passing. Donanna found joy in being active in the community and has always found a way to better those around her. As a result, in her early years she was a proud member of the Twin Falls PEO chapter as secretary treasurer and a member of the Twin Falls Tennis Association. In her later years she served the community as an integral part of the CSI administrative office. Doanna's passions in life included skiing, tennis, white water rafting, cooking, horses, reading and puzzles. In her early years she spent many days sharing her love of life by teaching skiing, playing in tennis tournament, going to little league games and riding horses with the family into the back country. In her later years she enjoyed white water rafting the most and spent 20 plus years with her husband and rafting family on the middle fork and main salmon rivers. The river brought so much to Donanna's life including family, friends, serenity and vast landscapes of untouched wilderness she so admired. Donanna will be most remembered for her loving and kind nature. Her love language was food and hospitality. She blessed her family and many others with amazing meals which were the centerpiece of social gatherings around the dinner table. There was always and extra place at her table regardless of who you were, family, friend or even a stranger, there was a hug, hot meal and a drink waiting for you when you entered the house. Everyone who left her home always felt welcomed, loved and full. Her request was to have her ashes left in the place she loved most, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River along with her husband when that time comes. Donanna was preceded in passing be her father Don, her mother Ann and brother Greg. She is survived by her husband Bob, sons Mitch and Tom and grandchildren Katie and Tyler McKinstry. The McKinstry family will post a notice in the paper for a Celebration of Life for this wonderful lady at later date yet to be determined. ''You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall to together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of heaven dance between you," (Kahlil Gibran)