Please join us for a celebration of Dona Jean/Jeanie (Kennedy) Woodard’s exceptional life on Thursday, October 1, 2026. It will begin at 2:00 PM at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel located at 3101 South Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, Colorado. Deb Woodard, and her wife, Sarah Pike, invite you to Dona’s Celebration of Life, and the reception immediately following, at the Horan & McConaty Reception Center.

Born on December 11, 1930, Dona was a force of nature. This brilliant, funny, caring 95 year-old woman left those who knew and loved her on September 6th, 2026. Dona was the middle child of a family of 5. She was a native of Colorado. Her parents, George N. Kennedy and Florence B. Williamson, came to Colorado from Oklahoma. Dona’s siblings, all of whom predeceased her, were Norma Martin, George Kennedy, Geraldine Westervelt, and Rosalie Williams. All of Dona’s extended family members treasured her sardonic humor, strength, resilience, and ability to love through all challenges. She knew she could depend on them and loved them all for their unique qualities and strengths.

Dona graduated from Bear Creek H.S. in Lakewood. She was popular and known for her unexpected antics, and clever pranks. Dona did not love school, but she DID love her best friend, Lila (Mickey) Simmons. They both were married after H.S. but were thrilled to be reunited in the late ‘60’s. Lila and Dona went dancing, played pinocle, laughed over nothing, and traveled together. They were close confidants and supported each other through life’s heart breaks. Dona and Lila were the best of friends. Lila’s entire family was extremely important to her. Lila’s daughter Delores (Dede), her husband, Charles (Charlie), granddaughter, Niki and Mike Massa, and grandson, Greg and his wife Lori King, observed holidays together and were always helpful and loving to her. Maxwell Massa and Levi King were both Dona's “great-grandsons.” The Massa/King clan were a part of her extended family, and she loved them all dearly. Dona would want Mike and Niki to receive special recognition for the countless ways that they helped her. They continued to have dinner with Dona weekly until she died.

At 19, Dona Kennedy left home to marry Eldon Burton Woodard (Woody), a master foreign car mechanic. They had two children, Debra June Woodard (1952) and Dennis Burton Woodard (1954). In 1964, Woody unexpectedly died of a heart attack and left Dona with two young children to raise at the age of 34. Fortunately, Dona was fiercely independent and capable. Grit, paired with the desire to protect and care for her children guided Dona back to work. Those who knew Dona at work will remember her for her mechanical and supervisory abilities. Although her interests and test scores led her to try to become an engineer, she was told that women could not be engineers. Still, she continued to produce, inspect, and supervise others successfully. From her work at Chick’s Lunch and Montgomery Ward (1948-1950) to Honeywell-Pentax and Rollei (1967-1982), and finally to Cobe (1982-1993), Dona demonstrated her acumen for making lifelong friends. She had a way of supporting people and making them laugh while pushing for quality in limited time periods. Her co-workers spoke highly of her work ethic, her sense of humor, and her green chili. Friends from those working experiences included Alma Stevens, Agatha Slogar, Jean Sonsthagen, Eileen Martin, Jean Cho, and countless more.

Agatha (Aggie) Slogar became a part of the Woodard family in 1967, when Dona met her at Honeywell. She was like an aunt to Debbie and Dennis and was a faithful friend until her death at the age of 90 in 2020. Aggie held season tickets to the Broncos games, and they went to most home games. The two of them attended two Super Bowls and never gave up their love of the game or the players. They traveled and gambled together, and they laughed hilariously as they relaxed after work. Their final and best trip together was a cruise to Alaska in 2007. Dona and Aggie were the best of buddies.

In 1975, tragedy struck again when Dennis died in an accident in the mountains at the age of 21. Dona’s children were her everything, and his loss was devastating. She was never more grateful for her family and friends than during that time of deep sorrow. While Dona struggled with her grief, she was still Mom to many of Deb’s friends. That list is long but included Annie and Cece Pike, Janine West, Therese Schoer, Kim Urenda, Nancy Donker. Sue (Shipley) Miller, and so many of Deb’s students.

Dona was an excellent cook, rivalled only by her sister, Geraldine. She was a gardener, and her roses added a striking note to her back yard on S. Wolff St. After moving to Westford Condominiums, Dona often went back to see how her roses were faring and visited with her good neighbors and friends, Sharon, Larry, and Ruben.

Dona also demonstrated outstanding skills at photography. After she retired, she took up oil painting as well. Those who received either her photographs or paintings felt honored and consistently acclaimed her creativity and artistic eye. That creativity continued to develop as she became involved in wood carving. Her dear friend, Gail Martinez reeled her in, got her involved in a carving club, and witnessed her first-place awards for bas-reliefs. Her diamond willow walking sticks were truly exceptional due to the time she took to carve out the diamonds; they were meticulous and unique. Dona was highly recognized for her talents, and she made many friends at the carving club and carving shows. Gail, however, was always first in her heart and mind. They laughed until they were silly, ate chocolate eclairs, and carved together until Gail died at an early age. Dona and Gail were truly unique friends.

From 2007-2026, Dona lived in a beautiful townhome at the Westford Condominiums. She loved her time there and made too many friends to count; however, three were with her most often- Debbie Matteson, Jami Larson, and Barb Nash. They talked over the fence, shared desserts, and exchanged gifts. It was these three that Dona called on when she needed help. Dona considered them all the best kind of friends.

A member of the Harvey Park Baptist Church, Dona met several women who became her friends and her fellowship support. Even when she was no longer able to attend church or the Women’s Circle, Dona talked about and missed her extraordinary spiritual moments and conversations with her sister, Rosalie, Dixie Gettings, Sharon Bates, Jumoke Alamutu, Carol Walkup and others. She loved listening to traditional hymns and praised Sharon’s beautiful organ work to anyone who would listen. When Deb asked about her fears/concerns about death, Dona assured her that she was planning to meet those that she loved in Heaven.

Guests are encouraged to think of special and/or fun memories of Dona Jean. There will be an opportunity to sign a book at the reception or sign the Memory Book on this site. We hope to have a truly touching but fun experience in Dona’s honor. Dona Jean (Kennedy) Woodard lived a remarkable life. She will be sorely missed.

Memorial contributions may be made in Dona's honor to :

The American Cancer Society-Denver

PO Box 370207, Denver , CO 80237

Please share your memories of Dona and condolences with her family by signing the guest book below.