Donna Howarth

Donna Sue Howarth, foodie, fashionista, glamour gal, world adventurer died on Sunday, February 23, 2014.
Family and friends were Donna’s love and joy. She adored her mom and dad, Dorothy and Don Smith, both deceased, loved her brother Kim Smith and sister Debbie Kravitz. She married the love of her life, Bill, a builder of fans, on December 28th, 1975. Together they raised a gaggle of kids, “Yours, Mine and Ours” style.

Donna was extremely proud of her children, Christopher Barth (Lorraine), Tyler Barth (Carolena), Colin Barth (Julie), Janessa Dove (Ken), Kristen Howarth, Karen Hirata (Don), Bill Howarth (Karen) and Jane Hershoff (Josh). She beamed when her son Tyler, earned a commission and played football at the USAFA. She instilled a love of good food to all of her children, taking great pride when her son Christopher, opened his restaurant. She taught them just to be thankful. Life’s hardest time for Donna was the passing of her youngest son, Colin, a gentle soul and loving father.

She was Nana Sue to twenty-five grandchildren and basked in the glory of all their accomplishments, appreciating nothing more than to cheer them on in their endeavors. On a summer afternoon you were equally likely to find her up to her elbows in dirt, or watching her grandkids fish, swim, or play in the sand at Honey Lake, sipping an Arnold Palmer all the while. And at Christmas time in the kitchen with Bill recreating her mom’s most delicious Christmas cookies to share with all, or downtown at a Christmas Story, the musical, sharing laughs with her family.

Donna Sue delighted in time spent with friends over lunch, or expressing her views, with stunning ability, about the book her club selected for that month. Sharing stories, tears, laughter and insights with friends, nurses and fellow patients in the Chemo Room, grateful for them all.

She was using the freshest ingredients years before the “buy local” movement, an accomplished gardener, growing produce in her backyard with her own compost. She thoroughly enjoyed sharing her bounty with family and friends. From swiss chard, kale and brussel sprouts to downing raw oysters at the local pub with dad as a small child, when it came to food she'd venture to try anything, and advised her children “Never marry someone who doesn’t like to eat.” Her garden was the epitome of life and she just relished watching it unfurl.

Donna had a lifelong love affair with anything white... from sheets to clothes to furniture, Crazy Jane’s salt, Green Chartreuse (as her children fondly refer to as Electric Shave), a glass of good red wine or bubbly, babies of any kind, QVC (their bottom line is sure to miss her), art (from her father), soft lighting, anything pretty, long hot baths, soggy salad, the eclectic, old black and white movies, something old next to something new, a fire on a chilly day and Marblehead, MA.

She despised clutter of any kind, especially on a horizontal surface, shopping (until the birth of QVC), bright lights, wasting good food and any holiday that went unadorned.

Donna Sue traveled extensively, from Fiji to the Mexican Riviera to crashing a posh wedding in the Hamptons, but her favorites were Sanibel Island and the old homestead, Marblehead Massachusetts where she was sure to find a good lobster roll and her first boyfriend and still good friend, Charlie.

She excelled at remodeling houses, making things pretty, turning a house into a home, hosting family gatherings and creating memories for a lifetime. Donna was a cooking aficionado and found inspiration while listening to Andrea Bocelli as she created a scrumptious dinner. Her biggest regret was not doing more in the performing arts after high school.

Braver than superman and a fighter to the end.

The family will hold a memorial visitation at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 149 West Main Street (Lake-Cook Rd), Barrington, IL 60010 on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 from 5-8 p.m. A Mass will be held at Saint Anne’s Church, 120 Ela St, Barrington, where she was a long time member on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 11:00am.

and in her kitchen... “Be still and know that I am.”