Donna Colegrove

Our beloved Donna Claire Rinehart Hewitt Colegrove left us June 26, 2024, at peace at her home in Santa Fe NM, aged 100. She was born June 20,1924 in Ludington MI, and was raised mainly in Millburg MI, the youngest of eight children born to William Henry and Eva Dolora (Parshall) Rinehart. She was preceded in death by her loving husbands Leo William Hewitt (married June 1944, died July 1993) and Jesse Lee Colegrove (married September 1996, died September 2002).

She is survived by her children Leo James, Paul (Khadija Ahmed), Phillip (Paul Brown), and Beatrice (Sugandh Mehta); grandchildren Matthew Hewitt (Sam Mariano), Christopher Hewitt, Aiyana Hewitt Mehta, Sanjula Hewitt Mehta, Brayden Hewitt Brown, and Leah Hope Brown; and stepchildren Cathy Belcher (Chuck), Dennis Colegrove (Carol), Diana Musial (Del), Martha Marikovics, and Charles Colegrove (Mary).

She had a varied career, working as a secretary and bookkeeper; running a trucking company with Leo in Benton Harbor MI; and teaching reading at Apollo Elementary in Highland MI. She touched so very many lives with her unconditional love, her courage, her strength, her compassion, and her wisdom. In turn she was showered with love and appreciation by many dear friends and family. She wielded a sly sense of humor almost to the end. She will be sorely missed.

After cremation here in Santa Fe her remains will be interred at a later date next to those of Leo in the Highland cemetery. At that time, we will have a memorial service. Details to be shared at a later date.

In lieu of flowers we suggest that an appropriate memorial would be donations either to the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care or to the National Scleroderma Foundation.