Obituary of Donna Stokes

Donna Stokes
1949 – 2025

It is with immense grief we announce that Donna Stokes passed away peacefully, with family by her side, on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at the age of 75, after a courageous journey with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born the youngest of four on a farm in Outlook, Saskatchewan, to Omer and Mary Farden, Donna’s roots were planted early. At just two months old, her family moved to Minitonas, Manitoba, where she grew up with her sisters Gayle and Maureen. Life on the farm gave Donna her first taste of gardening — a love passed down from her mother — and her deep appreciation for the outdoors.

Donna attended a one-room schoolhouse until Grade 8, often traveling by horse-drawn sleigh in the winter, before graduating from high school in Minitonas. She went on to pursue nursing in Brandon, graduating from the School of Nursing in 1970. In 1971, she married Richard (Rick) Stokes, her partner for 54 years. Together, they built a life filled with adventure, love, and laughter.

Donna spent the majority of her nursing career as an operating room nurse in Brandon, Winnipeg, and Dauphin before returning full circle to Brandon General Hospital, where she retired in 2011. She was respected for her skill, steady hands, quick wit, and professionalism, but equally remembered for her kindness and the way she could lighten even the most serious moments. Colleagues and patients alike recall her warmth and her knack for lifting spirits.

Donna and Rick lived an active life filled with travel. They skied often, and despite never formally learning to swim, Donna became scuba-certified, enjoying memorable dives. After Rick’s retirement, their adventures took them farther abroad to Vietnam, Cambodia, the Caribbean, and the Philippines, where they continued exploring and diving. Summers were spent at Childs Lake, and winters in Arizona. Donna was known for her love of gardening, her famous Texas brownies, and her bright intelligence and wide knowledge. She was also a proud hockey Mum, cheering loudly for her sons and later her grandchildren, and she never missed the chance to catch a Jays game.

Donna’s mischievous sparkle was one of her trademarks. She was a trickster, a kidder at family gatherings, and once, in Dauphin, pretended to be a bear in a lilac bush, ruining a good street hockey game for Jeff and Ryan. The boys never made it so quick into the house. She loved to tease, loved to laugh, and her infectious smile made everyone around her feel at ease.

Above all, family was everything to Donna. She always wore a big smile, and her happiest moments were with her grandchildren, Hartley and Harlin. Known as a generous and playful grandmother, she spoiled them, taught them how to bake, and always kept fresh Goldfish crackers waiting in the “secret spot.”

Donna will be lovingly remembered by her husband Rick; sons Jeff and Ryan (Tara); grandchildren Hartley and Harlin; sisters Gayle Farden and Maureen (Dale) Kotowsky; sister-in-law Diane Martin; and a wide circle of extended family and friends.

A private graveside family service was held in her honour. Donations in Donna’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

Donna taught us all to laugh often, to find joy in a good prank, and to never be afraid to get a little soil under our nails.