Donna Shaw Welsch

On the evening of November 12, 2024, the world lost a beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, and artist Donna Lucille Shaw Welsch. She passed away at her home in Long Beach, California at 90 years old.

Donna was born June 26, 1934 on a farm in Ottawa, Kansas during the Great Depression. She was the youngest daughter of George Argus Shaw and Daisy Wilma Bean Shaw and the sister of Dorothy Lee Weckerly Batson, George Bernard Shaw, and Gerald Bruce Shaw. In 1938, Donna and her family came from Kansas to California by car, ultimately settling in Compton. Donna attended Enterprise Jr. High School, Compton High School and Compton College. During World War II her Scotland-born grandmother Catherine Bean joined the family to care for Donna and her siblings while her mother Daisy worked at Douglas Aircraft. Daisy held an elaborate Christmas party every year to celebrate with their large extended family, which instilled in Donna a life-long love of Christmas.

On a blind date in 1952 she met Roy Allen Welsch, a young Marine from Peoria, Illinois, who became her husband for 61 years before his passing in 2014. Donna and Roy had two children, Penny Jo Welsch and Barry Allen Welsch who they raised in Long Beach. Roy worked as a carpenter and Donna was a master of many arts. She taught flower arranging and cake decorating, and she decorated cakes for weddings and special occasions.

The family traveled every summer, driving cross-country to Illinois to visit Roy’s family. In their retirement, Donna and Roy continued their adventures across North America, ultimately visiting 49 states. They also continued their creative exploits, starting a business together called Uncle Roy’s Toys. Together they sold wooden toys that Roy made and Donna painted. These toys were a fixture of gifts for their many nieces and nephews. 

In their retirement, Donna and Roy also spent time with their two much-cherished grand-daughters, Emily Catherine Welsch and Julia Allyn Welsch. Donna and Roy were their first babysitters and took them to school every day. Donna was the quintessential grandma. She sewed little girl dresses and the best Halloween costumes. She taught the girls to knit. She baked cinnamon apples and the fluffiest waffles. And she made quilts—many quilts. She was everything someone could want in a grandmother and more. 

After her family and Christmas, the other love of Donna’s life was art. She had a knack for painting and brought charm to everything she touched. For over 30 years, Donna attended weekly sewing and tole painting classes through which she made dozens of friends. Donna made over 100 quilts and even more painting projects in her lifetime. She also had the honor of painting 900 ornaments for the White House in 2005.

After answering an ad in a tole painting magazine in 2004, she painted an ornament that was selected for display on a White House Christmas tree. In recognition, she got to attend a White House Christmas party. She was so honored by the experience that she wrote a thank you note to Laura Bush who read and saved the letter. In 2005, the White House reached back out to her because of her note and asked her to paint ornaments for its official Christmas gift that year. Her one condition for accepting was to attend another White House Christmas Party—this time with her family.

Donna accomplished a lot in her life, and she did it all with a special warmth and care that went into everything she did. Donna would go out of her way to make those around her feel special and appreciated. When Roy was diagnosed with dementia, she cared for him. She visited his assisted care home every single day for two years without fail, except for two days to visit her granddaughters at college. When a painting class friend needed help with a project she would be there. She was always thinking ten steps ahead to what she could do (or make) next for someone she loved.

Donna is survived by her children Penny and Barry, her granddaughters Emily and Julia, her sister-in-law Marianne, and dozens of nieces and nephews. She was more of a Peter Rabbit fan, but to paraphrase Winnie the Pooh, “how lucky we were to know someone so special, that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Donna will be missed dearly by the hundreds of people whose life she touched.