Donna Adante

Donna L. Adante,67, of Ravenna, Ohio passed from this life on Saturday, May 7, 2005 in Collierville, Tennessee after a brief illness. Donna was born in New Castle,Pennsylvania, but spent most of her life in Akron. Donna worked for a number of years as a secretary in the retread department at B.F. Goodrich before changing careers. She began working as a court reporter for the Common Pleas Court of Summit County, and switching to Domestic Relations court for the remainder of her years with Summit County. She then moved to Ravenna to begin her own free lance agency, All County Court Reporters, which she kept until retiring in 1998 to care for her aging parents. Donna was a very devoted and caring daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother who took great joy in her family. She cared for her parents until their death, her father in January 2002 and her mother passing away in 2003. Shortly after she began experiencing some symptoms that eventually lead to a diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) on February 3, 2005. She always put not only her family first, but all of those she cared about. She was unusual in her dedication and selflessness to others. She was preceded in death by her loving parents Dreyfus and Ruby Shepherd, her adoring brother Frank "Buzz" Shepherd and sister-in-law, Natalie Shepherd. She will be sadly missed by her three daughters, Joan (David) Baker-Pfaff of Boca-Raton, Florida, Deborah (Walter) Miller, of Collierville, Tennessee, and Christine (Nick) Bacon of Carmel, Indiana; grandsons Robert A. Baker, of Austin, Texas, Ryan W. Baker of Ravenna, Ohio and W. Turner Jabbour of Collierville, Tennessee; granddaughters Colleen E. Baker of Boca Raton, Florida, and Hannah and Darby Bacon of Carmel, Indiana; step-grandchildren, Christopher and Shannon Pfaff of Port St. Lucie, Florida; great-granddaughter Chloe Noelle Baker of Ravenna, Ohio and great-grandson A.J. Dauch of Boca Raton, Florida. There will be no calling hours. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2005, at 1 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, 131 N. Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ALS Association of Tennessee Chapter, P.O. Box 40244, Nashville, TN 37204.