LaDonna Lorraine Lovett passed away on the evening of August 20, 2026, in Los Angeles,

California, following a difficult respiratory illness. In her final moments, she was surrounded by

compassionate care and comfort.

Her passing marked the end of a life filled with many chapters—some beautiful, some difficult,

and all uniquely hers. Rather than focusing on the circumstances of her final days, we choose to

remember LaDonna for the woman she was, the life she lived, the people she loved, and the

many people who came to love her.

May she now be at rest, free from pain and surrounded by peace where she can hear the ocean

waves and watch the sun rise.

Her Beginnings

LaDonna Lorraine Lovett was born on May 15, 1961, in Denver, Colorado, to Roger L. Lovett,

originally from Iowa, and Ann Patricia Easton, of Colorado.

Her name, LaDonna, comes from the Italian phrase la donna, meaning “the woman.” Her life

was as unique and complex as the woman she became—filled with love, hardship, resilience,

beauty, and many different chapters.

LaDonna and her sister, Lorrie, were born in Denver, Colorado, and shared their childhood and

school years together. LaDonna's mother, Ann Patricia, was only part of her life during her first

year.

Their father, Roger, eventually moved to California, where LaDonna's younger sister, Jacque

Gerlits-Beckman, was born to another mother. Jacque and her mother later moved to Kansas.

Though the sisters' lives took different paths, Lorrie remained a close sister to LaDonna, and

Jacque became an important part of her family story.

Following in Her Father's Footsteps

LaDonna's father, Roger, was a barber, and his profession became part of the family's story.

Following in her father's footsteps, LaDonna attended barber school and earned her own barber's

license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which she held for several

decades. Her career carried forward a skill and tradition that began with her father.

The Woman She Was

LaDonna was a beautiful woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, a big smile, and long legs. She had

a distinctive presence and a beauty that people remembered.

She loved the ocean and loved being near the beach. There was something about the water and

the coastline that drew her in and gave her a sense of freedom and peace.

In her twenties, LaDonna became a mother for the first time. Motherhood became an important

chapter of her life, and she eventually became the mother of five children—three daughters and

two sons.

A Life of Challenges and Resilience

LaDonna's life was not without hardship. She experienced seasons of chronic homelessness,

mental illness, addiction, and abusive relationships. There were times when she lived without the

stability, safety, and support that every person deserves.

Much of what she endured, she faced largely on her own.

LaDonna made many different choices throughout her life, and at times she chose a wandering

and unconventional way of living, seeking freedom and movement outside of a traditional

lifestyle.

Her story, however, cannot be told only through the hardships she experienced.

LaDonna had a beautiful heart in many ways. Her hugs were the best kind of hugs. My mom

enjoyed to do her hair, wear make up and wear perfume. When she hugged you she wouldn’t let

go.

She could speak kindly about the people around her, see goodness in others, and persevere

through circumstances that would have broken many people.

At the same time, some of the choices she made caused deep pain and suffering for the people

who needed her most—especially her children. That pain is real, and it has made it difficult for

some who loved her to reconcile the woman they knew with the woman they wished she could

have been.

LaDonna was not perfect, and her life was not easy or simple. She made choices that had

consequences while also carrying wounds and facing struggles of her own.

To remember LaDonna honestly is to hold all of her story. Her life deserves to be remembered

not only for the things she did right, and not only for the things that went wrong, but for the

whole woman she was.

The Motorcycle Accident and Years of Care

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, LaDonna was involved in a serious motorcycle accident.

During that emergency, a paramedic saved her life by placing a tracheostomy tube.

LaDonna lived with that tracheostomy for nearly ten years.

During those years, she was cared for by dedicated caregivers, nurses, and facility staff who

came to know and love her. They cared for more than her medical needs—they cared for her.

They would buy her makeup, decorate her space with balloons for her birthday, and find ways to

make her feel special and celebrated.

The people who cared for LaDonna spoke of her with genuine affection. They enjoyed working

with her and became part of her life.

When they learned of her passing, they cried.

They had not simply lost someone they cared for. They had lost someone they had come to love.

For nearly ten years, LaDonna was surrounded by people who saw her, knew her, cared for her,

and loved her. That, too, is part of her legacy.

The Things She Enjoyed

LaDonna enjoyed Elvis Presley, her favorite music artist. She used to have a Velvet Elvis framed

over her bed!

Her comfort movie was Titanic, she could watch it over and over again.

She enjoyed a good cheeseburger ��

Her daughter remembers her joy for cooking, especially corned beef and cabbage soup.

In her final years, LaDonna was unable to eat anything by mouth for several years. Yet those

who loved her can hold onto a lighter thought—that perhaps there is a cheeseburger waiting for

her in heaven.

Her Children and Family

LaDonna was the mother of five children—three daughters and two sons:

 LA Donna, her oldest daughter

 Tiffany, daughter

 Melissa, daughter

 Timothy, Tiffany's twin

 Michael, her youngest son

LCpl Timothy Lovett preceded his mother in death. Though he is no longer here to mourn her

passing, he remains an important and beloved part of LaDonna's story and will always be

remembered as her son.

LaDonna is survived by her three daughters, little LA Donna, Tiffany, and Melissa, and her

youngest son, Michael.

She is also survived by her father, Roger L. Lovett; her sisters, Lorrie Lovett and Jacque Gerlits-

Beckman; and her two grandsons, little Timothy and baby Bear.

She is also remembered by the caregivers, nurses, and staff who cared for her daily, Marvi,

Rosana and Susana, during her final years and who came to love her dearly.

A Final Reflection

LaDonna's life was complicated, but it was also meaningful.

She experienced love and loss, freedom and hardship, motherhood and separation, illness and

resilience. She made mistakes, endured circumstances that were incredibly difficult, and left

behind both memories of love and memories of pain.

But a life cannot be measured by its hardest chapters alone.

LaDonna was a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grandmother, a barber, a woman who loved the

ocean, a lover of Elvis Presley and Titanic, a cook who enjoyed making corned beef and cabbage

soup, and a woman who loved a good cheeseburger.

She was deeply human.

May she now find the peace, freedom, and rest that were sometimes difficult to find during her

life. LaDonna accepted the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ into her heart and she believed in

God.

And perhaps, in heaven, there is an ocean nearby, Elvis playing in the background, and a

cheeseburger waiting for her. Most importantly the welcoming embrace from her heavenly

father.

There must be a cheeseburger in heaven.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave

it.”

Romans 8:38–39

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor

things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”