Donna Wagoner

Former Wasilla resident Donna Wagoner passed away in Tillamook, Oregon, on Sept. 23, 2015. Donna was born June 12, 1943, in Nampa, Idaho, to Park Edward and Elnora Marie (Hancock) Laird. She lived in many states on the west coast, worked in many professions, and had an adventurous life. From cooking at the Kodiak Tracking Station to a ship that traveled through the Panama Canal, she has also managed and/or owned businesses. Through it all, her children, grandchildren, and more recently great-grandchildren, were her focus and joy.

Donna was known by many different names: Mom, Ma, Mom-Bob, and more preciously, Nanny. If you knew her, you may have gotten one of her crocheted treasures: an afghan, booties, or a booby pillow. She was a voracious reader, collected owl figurines, taught many of us some of her favorite recipes (panscit, fried rice, potato salad, sweet and sour pork), helped us to learn a card or word game (canasta, pinochle, spite and malice, scrabble); and worked on tracing her family tree. She told many stories of herself and her family.

Donna is survived by her children, Randall (Linda) Kilbourne of Wasilla, Mark Kilbourne of El Frieda, Arizona, Renee Wagoner of Wasilla, Rachelle Anderson of Shelton, Washington, Rodney Holloway of Washington, Roy Wagoner of Lincoln City, Oregon, Norma (MeAnne) Malek of Wasilla; her siblings, Joe Kilbourne of Idaho, Fran Laird of Wasilla and Jeanne Grasso of Redding, California; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and an extensive family network. She was preceded in death by her parents and the love of her life, Irvin Leroy Wagoner, Sr.