Donna Marie Gardonia Sands

Donna Marie Gardonia-Sands, 53, of Mesa, AZ, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away Thursday, May 29, 2008 in Mesa, AZ. Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Friday June 6, 2008, at Starks and Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. Funeral services will be private. Cremation will follow. Memorial donations may be made to Gift of Life, American Heart Association, or the American Diabetes Association. Those wishing to send the family a message of condolence may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com. Donna was born August 8, 1954, in Kansas City, MO, to Bobby and Regina (Ludwig) Gardonia. On June 8, 1996, Donna married Carl Sands in St. Joseph. She was employed as a secretary with Mesa Public Schools and Whirlpool Corp. while living in St. Joseph. Donna had a passion for dogs, and was very caring and giving to other people. She was a member of Schutzhund USA and enjoyed photography. Donna is survived by Carl, her husband of 11 years; children, Phillip (Stephane) Wilkerson of Benton Harbor, MI, Jason (Michelle) Wilkerson of Kalamazoo, MI, Carla (Pedro Lara) Sands of Phoenix, AZ, Carrie (Jarod) Decker of Summerfield, FL; seven grandchildren; sisters, Paula (Terry) Malleck of Longmont, CO, and Mary (Uli) Sommer of Clearwater, FL; brothers, Ken (Denise) Gardonia of Nashville, TN, and Gary Gardonia of Kansas City, MO; mother-in-law Jean Sands of Danphin, PA; brother-in-law Steve Sands of Duncannon, PA. Donna is preceded in death by her parents, Bobby and Regina Gardonia.