Elizabeth Marie Donaldson, 76, of Prairie Village, KS, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 16, 2021. Visitation will be on Friday, October 22, from 9:30-10:30 AM, with a Funeral Mass following at 10:30 AM, at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206. Burial will be at 1 PM at Resurrection Cemetery 8300 Quivira Road, Lenexa, KS 66215. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Kansas City Hospice.
Elizabeth “Liz” was born on February 15, 1945, in Kansas City, MO. She was a graduate of St. Teresa’s Academy and St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing. Liz was known by many of her close friends as “Porky,” a name which she was given by her father when she was a baby because she had a tuft of hair on her head that stuck up just like a porcupine. Later in life she decided that she preferred to be called “Liz” instead of “Porky,” so we all did our best to oblige her. She grew up in Leawood, Kansas and spent many of her childhood summers visiting her aunt & uncle’s farm in Iowa. Liz was an excellent student who often set the curve for her fellow nursing students at St. Mary’s. She took the same pride in her nearly 50 years as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Ann’s Catholic School, & then spent the last 38 years of her career at St. Joseph Medical Center.
Outside of nursing, Liz loved to spend time with her family, read romance novels, and eat out at her favorite restaurants. As she got closer to retirement, she took a keen interest in doing crossword puzzles & sudoku to keep her mind sharp. She was proud to be a nurse but was proudest to be “Mema” to her 6 grandchildren. She was not always very talkative to those who knew her but she always loved to just be present, listen, & observe those around her. Liz was preceded in death by her husband of almost 49 years, Michael Donaldson as well as her parents, Robert J. and Chloa Karnes. She is survived by her 2 children Chris (Amie) Donaldson of Leawood, KS, Lisa (Mark) O'Hara, of Lenexa, KS; 6 grandchildren Owen, Ian, and Finn Donaldson, and Faith, Nolan, and Gus O'Hara; her brother Robert (Mary Beth) C. Karnes and many dear nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.