“If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face. And turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.”
-2 Chronicles 7:14 KIV
Donna Kay Aron was laid to rest on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at Silverlake Church in Pearland. She was 68.
Donna Kay was born November 25, 1954, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Zenobia Davis and Roosevelt Aron, Sr. When her family relocated to Houston, her spiritual development was initiated when she attended and was baptized at Wesley AME Church at an early age by Rev. W.D. Williams. Her formative years were guided by Rev. E. E. Coates, and Donna participated in the Sunbeam Choir, the Youth Choir, and the Youth Usher group. As a very active member of the Young Peoples Department, Donna participated in various activities of the 10th Episcopal District at the local, conference, and district levels. Later, in her adult years, Donna joined Holman Street Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Manson Johnson. In October 2021, she united with Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. Marcus Cosby, whose spiritual leadership inspired Donna to further develop her study of the Word.
As a student scholar, Donna Kay attended schools in the Houston Independent School District in her beloved Third Ward. She was a happy student at Douglas Elementary School. She then matriculated to Ryan Junior High School, where she was an honor student and participated in extracurricular activities. She went on to attend and later graduated from Jack Yates High School (Class of 1972) with honors. She attended Houston Community College, where she received her associate degree, and Donna culminated her education at LeTourneau University with a BBA in 2002. Donna worked in Payroll and Accounting with several companies, including Seltzer and Sons, Houston ISD, Majic 102 FM Radio Station, and most recently with Aries Building Systems. She was also a certified mediator and a realtor.
Donna Kay truly enjoyed going to open houses to stay updated on the current market and to network with other realtors. She lived a vibrant life, and one of her favorite ways to spend time was to exercise with friends with early morning walks in Hermann Park before starting her workday. Donna always reported to work earlier than her scheduled time to make certain that all her tasks were finished ahead of time. She was very thorough in checking the quality of her own work as well as the tasks of others. She was known for her “sharp eye” to catch any situations that countered policies and procedures, and she insisted that the mistakes be adjusted.
Donna Kay loved to travel with her brother Carl Davis. They would cover the country, and some of their most memorable trips were to the Democratic National Conventions at Boston in 2004, at Denver in 2008, at Charlotte in 2012, and at Philadelphia in 2016. Donna met Ann Whitehead in Boston, who lived in New York at the time, and they connected for every convention to volunteer or just hang out together. She and Carl shared a love for attending the AME General Conferences and AME Lay Biennial Conventions. She met Barbara Tellis, whose husband was a delegate with Carl at AME meetings, and they would connect at General Conferences at Indianapolis in 2004, at St Louis in 2008, at Nashville in 2012, and at Philadelphia in 2016. The Lay Biennials were held at New Orleans in 2003, at Houston in 2005, at Washington, DC in 2007, at Little Rock in 2009, at Atlanta in 2011, at Charleston in 2015, and at Columbus, Ohio in 2017.
Donna Kay was a doting mother and grandmother to the loves of her life – her son, DeUndre, and her grandsons DeShaune (deceased in 2022) and Trevor, whose presence lit up her life whenever she spent time with them. She loved to take cruises with them at Thanksgiving and she would allow them to select the cruise destination. Donna Kay was a true servant who gave of her time to Volunteer Houston, whose mission is to connect individuals, groups, and companies with nonprofit agencies to transform the Greater Houston community. She thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and learning about the organization’s mission and opportunities to help others. She was a strong advocate for blood donations to the Gulf Coast Blood Bank to help sustain the lives of those who needed blood. She always wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. She received numerous awards and accolades for her tireless efforts to impact lives and to improve the quality of life for all in her community. Donna was always looking for a new adventure that would stretch her, so she joined the Houston Fire Department Citizen’s Academy. She spent 12 weeks in training to learn about fire strategy and tactics, to observe firefighters in action, and to learn basic lifesaving skills. Donna loved to go with her Aunt Walter Dell to jewelry shows and with her special friends to shop, eat and try new cuisines. She also supported the fine arts by attending plays and jazz concerts.
Donna received a divine invitation to return to her Father in Heaven on August 9, 2023. She was preceded in death by her parents; her grandson DeShaune Aron; and her sisters Barbara Davis and Delores Aron. Those who are left to cherish the memories of her rich and loving life are her devoted son, DeUndre Ramon Aron; her grandson Trevor Aron; her brothers Carl Davis, Roosevelt Aron, Jr. of Dallas, Texas; and Howard Watson; her sisters Emma Aron, Bobbie Aron, and Idella Aron Brown (Emmett) of Topeka, Kansas; her numerous nieces and nephews; her cousins Carolyn Land, Michael Green, DeAdrienne Smith, and others; and her close childhood friends Dolly Jefferson Jeffries, Hazel Cato Riles, Patsy Muse Southern, Marsha McGruder Oliver, and Beverly Arrington Houston.