Obituary for Donna Marie Todd (Morris)
Donna Morris Todd, 91
CHARLOTTE, NC – Donna Morris Todd, of Charlotte, North Carolina, formerly of East Liverpool, passed away Sunday morning, October 18, 2020 at the home of her daughter following a battle with cancer. She was 91.
Born at home in East Liverpool, March 13, 1929, she was a daughter of the late John F. and Gladys Woolley Morris. A resident of this area most of her life, she was a graduate of the East Liverpool High School Class of 1947. She later attended the East Liverpool Branch of Kent State University and also studied at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In addition, she completed programs through Christian Educators in the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery earning a Paraprofessional Degree and completed the Commissioned Lay Pastor Program.
From an early age Donna was a hard worker while always serving her faith. She began to work during high school at the former Frantz Bakery. She worked for the late Dr. Arthur Cloran, the YMCA, East Liverpool High School and the Carriage House. For 40 years she worked for the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery as a journal clerk. She also served as a Commissioned Lay Pastor at New Lebanon Presbyterian Church and the Jewett United Presbyterian Church.
Since she was 12 years old, she served the church, teaching Sunday school classes, adult Bible study classes in the Bethel Bible Series, and after school programs. She was also active in nearly every church leadership position and was a clerk of Session, deacon, session elder, commissioner to Presbytery, and the Personnel Committee of the Synod of the Trinity. She was a member of the Women’s Association of the church and served Holy Communion at the General Assembly Women’s National Meeting of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Donna was known for being always positive and looked for the good in others. In the community, she had been a Girl Scout leader, president of the East Liverpool City Hospital Auxiliary, a member of the Pastoral Committee at East Liverpool City Hospital and served a three-year term on the hospital’s Board of Trustees.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur B. “Art” Todd in 1970. The couple married February 21, 1960. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Rosemary Chambers, and three brothers, John Morris, Robert J. Morris, and Glenn Norman Morris.
Left to cherish her memory are her children, a daughter, Heather Risko and her husband, Jim, of Charlotte, two sons, Barry Todd and his wife, Alisha, of Lake Worth, Florida, and Paul Todd and his wife, Shawn, of McMechen, West Virginia. There are seven grandchildren, Chris Chambers, Doug Chambers, Barry Todd, Kyla Risko, Brian James, Brandy Davis, and Alan Kosan, six great-grandchildren, Lexi Chambers, Lily Chambers, Preston Chambers, Ellianna James, Andrea Davis, and Kairi Kosan, two sisters, Betty Reight of East Liverpool, and Ruth Hood, of Wellsville, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Friends may visit Thursday afternoon and evening at the Dawson Funeral Home where the family will be present from 5 to 8 p.m. Pastor Ian Leyda and Rev. Dr. Stephen Cramer will conduct a funeral service Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be at Shadow Lawn Memory Gardens in Newell.
CHARLOTTE, NC – Donna Morris Todd, of Charlotte, North Carolina, formerly of East Liverpool, passed away Sunday morning, October 18, 2020 at the home of her daughter following a battle with cancer. She was 91.
Born at home in East Liverpool, March 13, 1929, she was a daughter of the late John F. and Gladys Woolley Morris. A resident of this area most of her life, she was a graduate of the East Liverpool High School Class of 1947. She later attended the East Liverpool Branch of Kent State University and also studied at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In addition, she completed programs through Christian Educators in the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery earning a Paraprofessional Degree and completed the Commissioned Lay Pastor Program.
From an early age Donna was a hard worker while always serving her faith. She began to work during high school at the former Frantz Bakery. She worked for the late Dr. Arthur Cloran, the YMCA, East Liverpool High School and the Carriage House. For 40 years she worked for the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery as a journal clerk. She also served as a Commissioned Lay Pastor at New Lebanon Presbyterian Church and the Jewett United Presbyterian Church.
Since she was 12 years old, she served the church, teaching Sunday school classes, adult Bible study classes in the Bethel Bible Series, and after school programs. She was also active in nearly every church leadership position and was a clerk of Session, deacon, session elder, commissioner to Presbytery, and the Personnel Committee of the Synod of the Trinity. She was a member of the Women’s Association of the church and served Holy Communion at the General Assembly Women’s National Meeting of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Donna was known for being always positive and looked for the good in others. In the community, she had been a Girl Scout leader, president of the East Liverpool City Hospital Auxiliary, a member of the Pastoral Committee at East Liverpool City Hospital and served a three-year term on the hospital’s Board of Trustees.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur B. “Art” Todd in 1970. The couple married February 21, 1960. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Rosemary Chambers, and three brothers, John Morris, Robert J. Morris, and Glenn Norman Morris.
Left to cherish her memory are her children, a daughter, Heather Risko and her husband, Jim, of Charlotte, two sons, Barry Todd and his wife, Alisha, of Lake Worth, Florida, and Paul Todd and his wife, Shawn, of McMechen, West Virginia. There are seven grandchildren, Chris Chambers, Doug Chambers, Barry Todd, Kyla Risko, Brian James, Brandy Davis, and Alan Kosan, six great-grandchildren, Lexi Chambers, Lily Chambers, Preston Chambers, Ellianna James, Andrea Davis, and Kairi Kosan, two sisters, Betty Reight of East Liverpool, and Ruth Hood, of Wellsville, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Friends may visit Thursday afternoon and evening at the Dawson Funeral Home where the family will be present from 5 to 8 p.m. Pastor Ian Leyda and Rev. Dr. Stephen Cramer will conduct a funeral service Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be at Shadow Lawn Memory Gardens in Newell.