Rosemary A. Donatell

Rose Donatell, a lifelong Akron area resident whose full heart was on constant display to all around her, whether it was family, friends, co-workers, the arthritis sufferers who found relief in her swim class at the YMCA or the Purple Martins she nursed to health and happily saw fly over the Portage Lakes, passed away Monday May 2. She was 83.

Rosemary was born in Akron, Ohio to Joseph and Julia Herdina on December 18, 1932. She attended Garfield High School and lived in the Akron area her entire life. She worked as a secretary for Stow Board of Education for many years. She was a certificated Karuna Reiki Master from the Ursuline Educational Center. Rose was an avid birder and enjoyed hiking, reading, classical music and nature. She was an accomplished artist, both oil and Japanese Sumi. She led arthritis swim classes at the Barberton YMCA until she was 82 years old and was a longtime volunteer at the Purple Martin Society of Portage County and at the Happy Trails Animal Sanctuary.

Her five children, Claudia Cellucci of Marshfield, Mass., Barbara (Steven) Dugaw-Hager of Olympia, Wash., Gene (Jill) Donatell of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ed (Shari) Donatell of Lake Forest, Ill. and James Donatell of Oakland, Calif.; 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; her sister, Francis Kulick and brother, Raymond Herdina survive Rosemary. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Joseph Herdina and Henry Herdina. Her children and grandchildren were her joy; she found true love through her family and friends.

Friends are invited to Redmon Funeral Home in Stow, Ohio for visitation on Saturday, May 7 from 2:30 to 4 p.m., with a celebration of life following at 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls. Memorial donations may be made to Happy Trails Animal Sanctuary at 5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Rose's many friends who provided love and support to her through the years. Rose was a one-of-a-kind person. All who knew her will miss her energy, joy, sense of humor and adventure as well as her boundless generosity and love.