Hess, Donna

On Dec 1 at Stratford General Hospital, surrounded by her loving family, Donna Alina Hess passed away in her 69^th year after a brief battle with cancer. Donna was born just after the end of the Second World War in a Displaced Persons camp in Salzburg, Austria. Her parents brought her to Canada to begin a new life, starting with nothing. The family initially lived in Thunder Bay and moved to Woodstock where Donna was raised with her two brothers. It was in Woodstock, working in data processing, where she met the love of her life Peter Hess. They married in 1977 and moved to Stratford where they raised two daughters. Donna was a master gardener, like her mother, and she made her yard a showplace. She enjoyed knitting and needlecraft and was a meticulous homemaker. She touched many lives in the community including the children of St. Aloysius School where she worked in her later years as school monitor.  But most of all her life revolved around her family and friends, which included her two grandsons. Caring for and nurturing them was her passion and Donna’s passing leaves broken hearts that will need time to heal. Donna is predeceased by her parents Kazimierz Daniszewski (1974) and Emilia Daniszewski (2000) and her brother Edward (2009).  Along with Peter, she is survived by daughters Alicia Hess-Tsang (Brian) of Kitchener and Christine Hess (Chris Lott) of Stratford, grandsons Reid and Pierce, brother Henry (Pamela) of London and nieces Krista and Tamara, nephew Ryan and her beloved Maltese Hunter. The family wishes to thank the nursing staff of the surgical wing at Stratford General Hospital and her hospital roommate Brian Rutledge for the comfort they gave Donna in her final days. Friends and relatives may call at the W.G. Young Funeral Home, 430 Huron Street, Stratford on Friday, December 5, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Father David Butler will officiate. Interment in Avondale Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society through the funeral home. 519.271.7411  www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com