Donna Reece

     Donna Reece’s voice was joined to the beauty of the choir celestial on October 31, 2026, having graced us here for decades. A color lyric soprano described by her vocal coach as a cross between Kiri Te Kanewa and Kathleen Battle, Donna was a soloist and member of the choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church since 1977, a soloist and choir member in the Dayton Bach Society for decades. She was the only local soloist to perform at the opening of the Schuster Center. Donna delighted audiences with programs offered through the Dayton Music Club, the Woman’s Literary Club, the University of Dayton Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She sang lead in Springfield Opera productions. She was privileged to bless many weddings and life celebrations with song. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTwyh2T19KTA].

     Born October 20, 1938, in Manchester, Kentucky, to Jan and Jessie Walters, she came from a large extended family, which has always been precious to her. Donna graduated from high school in London, Kentucky in 1956, from Georgetown College in 1960, and then earned a Master’s degree in Religious Education from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1965, where she met her husband, Robert Reece. They were married in 1965. For over 61 years, their marriage was a model of friendship and love. Donna taught for several years in Louisville and then in Hamden, CT. Donna and Bob moved to Dayton in 1969, where she initially worked as a soloist in the choir at First Baptist Church before moving to Westminster. Together they had four children—Gwendolyn, Gregory, David, and Emily—and built numerous treasured life-long friendships.

     Donna was always a fun-loving and intellectually curious soul, planning amazing family holidays that focused on cultural and historical themes. She sought out expansive opportunities with a spirit of adventure. She was an avid reader and participant in book groups, and loved the arts. She delighted in the quirky. Donna worked as speech coach for Oakwood High School for a number of years and was the leader for Westminster of an interchurch program for housing the homeless for a week at a time.

     Donna is remembered by her children for her moral courage. She was devoted to social justice, rooted in compassion and the recognition of the worth and shared humanity of all. She was a consistent friend of the LGBT community for decades and raised her children with these values.

     Donna leaves behind her loving husband and all four children, her son-in-law Zhenya, her daughter-in-law Aneta and Aneta and Greg’s three children, Thomas, Michael, and Alexander, as well as her beloved extended family and her precious friends who make up her family of choice.

     Donna’s life will be celebrated at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends that donations in her honor be made to either the John Neeley Music Fund at Westminster Presbyterian Church:https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Form/dedfc6eb-008f-4925-ae15-ae5cacaea050 or to Ohio Hospice of Dayton: https://www.ohioshospice.org/give/

     Recordings of some of her performances can be located here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTwyh2T19KTA