Donna Lynn (Freeman) Simon, 38
Donna Lynn (Freeman) Simon, 38, died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010, at her home in Hayden Lake, as a result of complications of her diabetes.
Donna was born in Baltimore, Md., on March 25, 1972, to Gerald and Carol Monaghan. After her mother's death in 1978, Donna and her brother Jayson moved to Idaho where they were both adopted by Stephen and Barbara Freeman of Post Falls, and gained an older sister Linette.
Donna grew up in Post Falls attending all 12 years in Post Falls schools. In her younger years, Donna was a Campfire girl and participated in 4H cooking and art projects. In high school Donna twirled with the Post Falls High School Flag team. After graduating in 1990, she enrolled at ITT Tech from which she graduated in 1992.
Donna met her husband of 19 years, Rob Simon after the Rocket Drive Inn closed and she went to work at Rob's Seafood and Burgers. They began dating when she was in college. Rob and Donna had two beautiful children, Chynna and Jorja who were the light of her life. She definitely took pride in being a "girl-mom" and loved to spend time with the girls at home: volunteering at their school and planning events at the family's Spokane River Cabin during the summers. Donna was a talented artist and an excellent cook. She had the ability to go to a restaurant and order a menu item, break it down and go home and recreate it, oftentimes with improvements.
About a year ago, Donna started a new chapter of her life and went back to school at Alpine College to be a surgical technician. She had just completed her classroom hours and was in the process of working her externship hours at Kellogg Hospital so she could become a certified surgical technician, a field of work that she loved.
She is survived by her daughters, Chynna Simon and Jorja Simon; mother Barbara Freeman of Priest River; sister Linette Freeman of Hayden; brother Jayson Freeman of Rathdrum; her former husband, Rob Simon of Post Falls; stepdaughter Nikki Comstock of Seattle, Wash.; stepsons, Todd Somers of Spokane, Wash., and Kerry Simon of Post Falls; her grandparents, Carl and Bea Snell of Phoenix, Ariz., Nancy Griggs of Rathdrum; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Stephen Freeman, Carol Monaghan and Gerald Monaghan and several grandparents.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25, 2010, at Real Life Ministries, 1866 N. Cecil Road., Post Falls.
Memorials may be made in Donna's name to the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.
English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d'Alene, has been entrusted to handle the arrangements. Please visit Donna's online memorial and sign her guest registry at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.