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Donna's obituary

Ms. Donna Lynn Thorne (née Hood), 68, of Bloomingdale, IL,  passed away on February 05, 2023 after a shot battle with sepsis and pneumonia.


Donna was born on chilly, windy, Friday, October 22, under sunny skies to George Lee Hood and Elaine Marie Hood (née Yates) in Chicago, Illinois. She was the second oldest of three siblings. 

After her mom became a single parent  Donna was placed into a loving foster home where she was raised from a toddler through her teen years by Orville and Lillian Trumble. Her youth was filled with love and laughter from her Debra and Doreen and Foster siblings Marilynn, Jimmy and Susan. 

She attended Argo High School in Summit, Illinois graduating a year yearly in 1971 and meeting her first husband and Pete Pietruszka, an immigrant from Poland. They were married in 1972  had three children, Katya, Joseph and Michelle during their marriage.  

After divorcing, Pete she would be introduced by friends to Lawrence "Gary" Thorne, then Editor-in-Chief of the South Town Economist newspaper.  Gary would become her great love and the two of them would be married a couple years later.   Their time together was filled with working together, he at the Southtown and her as an advertising agent for the Daily Herald the sister publishing that Gary was also editor for. Gary would write comedic but loving stories of his life with her that thrilled her to the core. One of those editorials was called "One Tough Broad, which Gary told of the single hard working mother raising three kids, and her snappy strong look at life.  Her time with was short but they enjoyed their last years together before his passing living in upstate New Jersey. 

She would marry one more time to Gerry Lewis, for a few years, before divorcing. 

Her remaining year were spent loving her children and her step grandchildren. Even though her grandchildren were not blood related she would tret them no differently than if they were because of the love she had growing up in foster care. 

In 2016 she would suffer a serious stroke in 2017 that partially crippled her. She refused to let that stop her from her favorite retirement pastime, art. Through out her life, Donna would love to draw. She would spend hours at festivals or private parties drawing caricatures, native Americans, and celebrities. As her ability to draw stumbled she took on impressionistic art. Some of her art can be seen here in her memorial or her other memorial page. 

Donna was reunited with her loved ones; mother, Elaine; father, George; husband Gary , and foster Mom and Dad  Trumble  and other foster family, Uncles James, Ken and Ron, Aunts Linda and Donna. She is survived by daughter Katya Pietruszka and her fiancée Christina Yuskus, son Joseph Pietruszka of Florida and his future wife Sara Fisher,  youngest daughter Michelle Sendelbaugh and son-in-law BJ, sisters Debra and Doreen, foster sisters  Marylin and  Susan, step grand children Rick and Ashkey Reeves, and  nephew and nieces Jay, Jenifer and Sarah and their children. and many cousins.

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I am so sorry for your loss I hope her smile stays in your heart forever
I am so sorry for your loss I hope her smile stays in your heart forever
I am so sorry for your loss I hope her smile stays in your heart…

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Ms. Donna Thorne