Lela F. Donelson

Lela Faye Donelson (née White), 75, passed away peacefully on the morning of June 6, 2026, with her husband and daughter by her side. Born on September 16, 1950, Lela lived a life defined by love, adventure, and enduring friendships. She was the beloved wife of Bill Donelson; loving mother of Jessica Donelson; cherished grandmother of Anderson and Olivia Decrane; and beloved step-grandmother of Jasper and Mirabelle Demske, and Michael, Will, and Nick Tsironis through her stepchildren, Kate Demske (Bruce), Colleen Tsironis (Niko), and Doug Donelson. Lela loved the beach and enjoyed taking spontaneous day trips to Galveston for lunch and to explore the shops along the seawall. She had a zest for adventure and loved to travel. Her career in sales and training afforded her many opportunities to travel around the country and even ski in the Rockies. She was a passionate foodie and an incredible cook. She would have made a wonderful contestant on one of her favorite shows, Chopped, if ever given the opportunity. She had a gift for turning seemingly random ingredients into extraordinary meals. Lela was overjoyed to become a grandmother to her daughter Jessica’s children and could not wait to take Olivia shopping and out to lunch. Some of her fondest memories were spending entire days with Jessica at the Galleria—shopping, enjoying lunch together, and then convincing Bill to meet them for dinner. She had her first and only child, Jessica, a little later in life and was also a devoted and involved aunt to her sister Erva Jauhowki’s (Stan) daughters, Beth and Yvonne. She loved supporting Beth during her performances in musicals at HSPVA and gathering with family for special dinners at Cedar Landing. Later in life, she found great fulfillment in volunteering to help women from Korea learn English and develop the skills they needed to support themselves and their families. She was also an active member of a wine club and enjoyed learning about different varietals and taking a once in lifetime trip to Sonoma with friends. Lela had a lifelong love of learning, which she passed on to her daughter, Jessica. Even after retiring from full-time corporate work, she continued consulting and developing technology training solutions for companies such as American Airlines. Lela was funny and had an incredible way with words and turns of phrase. She loved independent films, music of all genres, and foreign-language television shows. Her warmth, wit, and adventurous spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Lela F. Donelson

September 16, 1950 - June 6, 2026