(AKA "Katie", "Miss Donna")
Many years ago, Donna was in the San Francisco International Airport. She had just arrived on a flight to visit friends. While waiting for her ride into the city, she spotted beautiful dogs in their kennels. There were black and red ones, red and white ones, black, white and red ones, and all red ones. Magnificent Toy Spaniels called Cavalier King Charles, in town for a dog show. She fell in love. Needless to say, when she got back home she looked for a breeder, and a parade of pups followed. Spencer was the first, he was a Blenheim (Red and White), followed quickly by Neville, also a Blenheim. Then Olivia (Blenheim), Darby (Tri-Color), Jasper (Blenheim), Pippa (Tri-Color), Toby (Blenheim), and Lulu (Tri-Color). Since that day at the airport, her home always had a bark in it!
Donna was born July 30, 1947, in Cushing, Oklahoma. She passed October 24, 2024, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was the youngest daughter of Donald Dewey Boyd and Cecil Sarah Hogan Boyd. She entered Oklahoma State University at the age of 16, receiving a BA in English Literature, followed by pursuit of her MA. She began her career in Denver, Colorado, working at International Resources in research. In 1973 she joined Ackerman Advertising (now Ackerman McQueen) as the Corporate Librarian and Secondary Research Specialist (she was the agency's Google before there was a Google). Donna worked for over 40 years in marketing and communications in Tulsa and New York, as well as doing research for documentary films and special projects. She traveled extensively across Europe and North Africa, becoming an enlightened and savvy world traveler, which she put to good use following retirement, when she began her own company, Blenheim, Inc. She taught and tutored students in Italian, French, English as a Second Language, and piano. She put her life-long interest in the arts to good use, serving on the Tulsa Ballet Board for over 25 years, as well as on the Board of Chamber Music Tulsa. She was a member of the prestigious Tulsa Shakespeare Club (in existence since 1915).
As an accomplished artist, Donna created weavings and sculptures, painted in oils and watercolors, and worked in mixed media. She spent many happy hours playing piano, enjoying jazz and opera, working in her garden and...of course...playing with her Cavaliers. Those knowing Donna considered themselves lucky to have had her in their lives. She was fun, smart, loving, giving and just a beautiful person as anyone would hope to meet. She was a wife, sister, friend, a teacher, and an example of high style, impeccable taste, and authentic fierceness in supporting the people and things that were important to her.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Tom Twomey; by her sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Don Floyd, of Dallas, Texas; her niece and husband, Meredith and Matt Mosley; and grandniece, Parker Mosley, all of Dallas, Texas; as well as other family members, friends, the many students she has tutored through the years; and her two babies, Toby and Lulu, who already miss her terribly.
Memorial remembrances can be made to the Tulsa Ballet Theatre.
Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151