Donna Jean Starck of Ames, Iowa, died peacefully at Israel Family Hospice House on Monday afternoon, April 24, 2023.

A celebration of life gathering will be held on Friday, May 5, 2023, starting at 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. with a service held at 4:30 at Grandon Funeral & Cremation Care (414 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa). Online condolences may be directed to: www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com

Donna was born in Traer, Iowa on November 26, 1951, to Clarence and Florence Schlicht Starck. She graduated from North Tama High School in 1970 and then ISU in 1974 with a BS in Home Economics Education. She taught in Iowa and Minnesota then returned to ISU for a BS in Food and Nutrition/Dietetics, graduating in 1979. She had a long career as a diabetes educator at CIDEC (Central Iowa Diabetes Education Center), Iowa Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, MediHealth Solutions, and Unity Point Health. Her work was about serving others and she deeply touched the lives of many patients.

Donna enjoyed running marathons, biking RAGBRAI, bike tours in other states and countries, and at age 45 rode her bike self-contained from Virginia to Oregon.

She met Paul Clark on a blind date in 1997, they married in 2003, and they had a 6-week honeymoon camping trip to Alaska. The honeymoon continued for another 20 years.

She was a dedicated volunteer in national and state parks, at Camp Hertko Hollow Diabetic Camp, Iowa Special Olympics, Project AWARE cleaning Iowa rivers, Ames UCC, Emergency Residence Project (now known as The Bridge Home) and recently at the Ames Animal Shelter. She was a Master Gardener.

Donna enjoyed walking, yoga, exercise, and had an appreciation for nature, coffee, and a healthy diet. She was a quiet, unselfish person, who was very kind and an extremely grateful person who authored 5 gratitude journals.

After falling many times late last summer, she was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. She faced this disease with an abundance of grace, courage, and humor.

Left to cherish Donna's memory is her husband, Paul Clark of Ames; sister, Carol Ogborn of Glen Ellyn, IL; nieces Gretchen (Ron) Madsen of Elmhurst IL, Allison Ogborn of Lansing, IL, Laura (Chris) DeMondo of Villa Park, IL; nephew Tom Ogborn of Chicago; and great nieces Elsa & Presley Madsen, and Parker DeMondo. She is also survived by Paul's children; Sean Clark of NYC, James (Jenna) of Phoenix, AZ, and Kyla (Adam Todd) Clark of Minneapolis, MN and grandchildren Jackson Clark of Los Angeles, CA, Jace & Jordan Clark of Phoenix, AZ. She was preceded in death by her parents and Carey Starck, an infant brother.

Special thanks to all the staff at Israel Family Hospice House for their tender and compassionate care of Donna.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ames UCC, Ames Animal Shelter, or a charity of your choice.

RIP, Donna Jean.