Obituary of Donna M MacInnes

Tribute Donna M. MacInnes Donna M. MacInnes was born February 12, 1932, the fifth child of May Louise and Leo John ‘Jack’ Mathias’, in Clawson Michigan. Donna was the youngest of the five children and the last to go to Heaven. Donna was very close to her siblings and all the families grew up together with lots of love and affection towards each other. Donna attended Clawson High school with her other family members. She is survived by her sons, Philip and Bill Bassett, and her step-daughter Cally. She has five grandchildren, Eric, Shawn, Andy, Blaine, and Paul as well as five great-grandchildren, Sam, Sarah, Sophie, Lucas, Sasha and Skye. Donna had three children, Philip, William “Bill”, and Peter. Later in her life, through marriage she had a step-daughter Carolyn “Cally” Crist. Donna was able to put all three of her boys through college, as education was a must in her mind. She made sure that all of her children had the proper tools for a successful life. She overcame many obstacles in her search for success in a man’s world during the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s. Due to the gender disparity gap, she knew she needed to work twice as hard as anyone else. She worked for less pay and fought discrimination against women, but she overcame that and persevered. We were all proud of her and we were grateful for her dedication. Donna married John D. MacInnes in June of 1989 and the two of them had a wonderful marriage/life together. They had a cottage in East Tawas, Michigan, where they spent weekends and summers and much of their retirement. They were always close to family and enjoyed many guests at their homes. Holidays and family get togethers were always fun and Donna always entertained with great food. The family would usually get together at her house and all the adults would love to talk and the kid’s(now adult)s would play outside. All football games were usually on television but the Michigan State or Michigan football games took priority! Donna attended Michigan State College, which is now MSU, and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. Her goal was to take as many business classes as possible and learn as much as possible. She became a big donor to Michigan State and was very involved with the alumni program and different committees. She started an endowment scholarship program with MSU, in her parents names, with a lump sum of money. The interest earned from this investment would fund the Scholarship for High School Seniors who needed financial assistance. She started working for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in the Public Affairs department in the late 1960’s. She achieved her goals, of working hard and learning the business, and was one of the first woman managers in Detroit in the 1980’s, a woman ahead of her time. Michigan Consolidated was bought by American Resource Company, ANR, and Donna became the voice for ANR in Detroit. She served on various Boards of Directors and Planning Committees in the Detroit area. One of her most significant achievements was to design and direct the establishment of the visitor center at ANR Coal Gasification plant facility in North Dakota, which was the first of its kind in the United States. Donna also organized and managed the International Freedom Festival for the cities of Detroit and Windsor for many years. She was very involved in the planning and organization of the Grand Prix of Detroit. These are just a few of her many achievements she was proud of. She later retired from ANR as the Director of Community Relations reporting to the Vice President of ANR. To further enhance her income she wrote cooking columns at The Oakland Press and Pontiac Press Newspapers 1995-1997. She also wrote and published two cookbooks and taught cooking classes from her home at night. Through her work at Michigan Consolidated she had her own cooking show on television for one season. Donna was always teaching friends and family to cook, as this was her passion. She was very involved with her Church, Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, and gave over 25 years of service on committees as well as being an avid parishioner. She was the main person responsible for the rebuild of the Sacristy to the main church at Christ Church Cranbrook and the Sacristy next to St. Dunstan’s Chapel, also at Christ Church Cranbrook. She took textile classes to learn about the linens and then gave classes and gave tools to the Alter Guild to take care of the linens. She worked with contractors in the design and organization of both of the Sacristy’s. She also was on various committees at Christ Church Cranbrook where ever she could be of service. She was especially proud that all three of her sons were Confirmed at Christ Church Cranbrook. She was a dedicated servant to our Lord our God. Donna and John were on the Board of Directors for the Bloomfield Township Library and worked diligently to build the new Library in the 1990’s. They were influential in the structure of the library as well as the flow of information available to anyone who needed good resources. She was a member of the Village Club, a woman only club in Bloomfield Hills, and served on many committees. This was one of her most favorite places for dinner/lunch and she was very proud of this membership. Donna was a matter of fact person who got things done and was very business orientated. Donna and her husband traveled throughout the United States, Europe and Asia together. They became world travelers and loved all of the experiences life brought them. Donna was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/Dementia late 2017 but she managed the disease, as best as she could, and kept her dignity throughout the illness. Donna was a powerhouse in life and will be greatly missed. The family suggests instead of flowers please donate to Christ Church Cranbrook (general fund), 470 Church Rd, Bloomfield Hills MI 48304. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Donna M MacInnes