Arnett, Donna Kay was born as Donna Kay Mounce on October 5, 1950, to William Theodore Mounce and Lucille Alice Mounce, mom was one of five children. She would always tell us kids’ stories of her childhood and the struggles her family had to face growing up poor. Despite her circumstances and little education, she never let any of her hardships control her destiny. This is in large part due to the values that Grandpa Joe and Grandma Lucille instilled in them. Values like hard work, determination, dedication, compassion, and respect just to name a few; all qualities that she would later ingrain into us kids.
Mom was what you would call a Renaissance woman; there wasn’t much she couldn’t do. She was an amazing cook, excellent gardener, and one of the craftiest and handiest women you would ever meet. She was a single mom who earned a living primarily as a school bus driver and retired in 2002. She was a fierce, strong, and loving mother to us seven kids. She put everything into raising us to be the best that we could be. She taught us that you can have anything you want in life with hard work.
As the years went by and we grew up, she continued to instill these same qualities into her grandchildren. She loved hearing about their good grades and accomplishments and would be right there to cheer them on. Over the past few years as mom’s health declined more and more, she spent most of her time enjoying her grandchildren and great grandchildren. It brought her so much joy, especially in her final days, to have them nearby.
In the early morning hours of March 29th, 2023, mom left this earthly world at the young age of 72. She is preceded in death by her mother Lucille Mounce (Rivers), her father Joseph Mounce, her biological dad William Mounce, her brothers William Rex Mounce and Richard Mounce, her sisters Carole Pierce and Bonnie Dalton, her daughter Donna Ellis, her granddaughter Chelsea Arnett, and her great granddaughters Zayde Arnett, Miracle Arnett, and Aya Adnan. She leaves to cherish six of her children, William Arnett, Timothy Arnett, Anthony Arnett, Richard Arnett (Pamela), Mellissha Fleming (Romel), Chashaona Brown-Leonard (Jon), two sisters Barbara Huttman and Victoria Graves, one brother Wilbur Mounce, 26 grandchildren, and a host of great grandchildren, other family members, and friends.
Visitation at KUTIS CITY CHAPEL on Friday April 7 from3:00 PM until 7:00 PM.