Donna R. Csavina

Donna R. Csavina

Our loving mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Donna Ruth (Willenbrink) Csavina of Centerville, Ohio, passed away at 75, on July 30, 2022, surrounded by her husband and daughters.

Donna was born to the late Charles H. and Ruth F. (Huelsman) Willenbrink on October 10, 1946, in Cincinnati. Catholic tradition and her strong faith were a foundation of her life which started at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and Mother of Mercy High School, where she met some of her lifelong friends. Donna met her husband, Frank, on the dance floor at Coney Island in Cincinnati in the summer of 1966, and they were married September 2, 1967. They chose Bellbrook as their home to raise their four daughters. Besides being a mother, Donna worked as a bank teller in downtown Bellbrook until she retired in 2003. To her, being a teller was more than a job; to her customers and coworkers, she was a confidant and friend. Donna most enjoyed people and the communities she was a part of, including participating at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Some of her favorite hobbies included planting flowers, hiking, and playing games, when not shuttling four children to and from their many school activities.

After retiring, Donna and Frank were snowbirds in Arizona and later Florida. Donna loved to travel with family and friends, whether to the coasts of Florida or the hills of Gatlinburg or overseas to various destinations. Her travels culminated in a 70th birthday trip with her four daughters to Italy. Donna loved being a mother, engaging in her daughters’ lives into adulthood. From helping them move, to spoiling grandkids, to weekend get-aways, she doted on her daughters until the end. Donna was also a generous, kind, and loving friend to those near and far.

Donna was a 23 year Parkinson’s disease warrior, fighting the disease courageously for many years. Knowing that exercise would help her fight the disease, she became a runner, completing a half marathon with her daughters when she turned 60. She participated in boxing and many Parkinson’s exercise classes in Ohio, Arizona, and Florida, to live life fully with Parkinson’s.

Donna’s loving presence will be missed but carried on, by her husband of 55 years, Frank Csavina, their four daughters, Kristy Csavina, Jill Csavina-Raison (Brian Raison), Tracy Csavina (Greg Anderson), Janae Csavina (Mike Pursley), her grandchildren, Abbey Raison, Claire Raison, Jack Pickett, and many fur grandkids. She is survived by her close knit siblings, Carol Robbe, Anita Hoffman, Gayle Archbold, and Wayne (Nancy) Willenbrink, and sisters-in-law, Beverly Csavina and Donna Csavina, and many nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to list.

To celebrate Donna’s life, you are invited to her viewing at Westbrock Funeral Home (5980 Bigger Rd, Kettering, OH 45440) on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at 10:00 am at St. Francis of Assisi Parish (6245 Wilmington Pike, Centerville, OH 45459), with burial to follow at Bellbrook Cemetery. After the funeral, a celebration of Donna’s life will be held at St. Francis parish in Friendship Hall. In honor of Donna’s love and friendship and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choosing or one of the Parkinson's Disease foundations, including the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation ( https://parkinsonfoundation.org ) or the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's ( https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/ ).