1946
Donna
2016
Donna Almai
November 7, 1946 — December 19, 2016
Donna Lee (Hedrick) Almai, born November 7, 1946, beloved wife, sister, mother and grandmother passed away in the early morning of December 19, 2016 at her home in Creighton, Missouri. Funeral services will be Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at the Longview Funeral Home in South Kansas City, Missouri. Visitation will be from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. with the funeral service beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The daughter of Lee and Phoneil Hedrick, Donna grew up in the Kansas City and Chillicothe, Missouri areas, taking occasional ballet and piano lessons and later a southern subdivision of the Hickman Mills area in Kansas City, where she gained a love for horses, attending and later graduating from Ruskin High School in 1964. Donna, a born again Christian, went on to be a popular buyer for the wig and hair salon department in the Jones Store of downtown Kansas City and traveling to several different cities to set up boutiques in many of their stores and briefly living in Miami, Florida to further that career from 1967 to 1972. She went on to a greater position with Eva Gabor International in North Kansas City. She also was an employee of the Hartford Insurance Company. On September 5, 1969, she married Mohammad Ali Almai at the Longview Methodist Church in Kansas City. Donna and Ali had two daughters, Catherine Shahla (Mahurin) Almai born January 21, 1974 and Metra Elaine (Almai Holt) Augustin on December 9, 1975. Donna was one of the original founders of the Harmony In A World Of Difference Organization in the Ruskin Heights area, helping racial factions from all walks of life to come together through interaction. She was a dedicated volunteer for the Wayside Waifs Animal Adoption Shelter and later aided in the passage of stricter animal rights legislation in the state of Missouri and found a great deal of joy with husband Ali raising Champion Miniature Pinschers and Yorkshire Terriers in the Longview Acres business. She was an avid gardener, taking bare plots of unplantable ground and turning them into fragrant paradises. Donna loved nature and animals but her true love was for her family, both close and extended, always seeing the humor in persons or circumstance. Her husband and daughters were everything to her and she never lost sight of her feelings for them. Along with her family, Donna reveled in the many trips and outings to Noel, Missouri where everyone in her extended family came together to enjoy the lake and all that nature had to offer. She adored being a Grandmother and never stopped shy of excelling at that role in her life. Throughout Donna's life she made several trips to Arcadia, Louisiana to visit with her mother's family and loved both the time with her relatives and the admiration she shared with her husband Ali and the rest of the family over her Great grandmothers home and land in the country. In her remaining days, all she could think about was her husband and family. She met her earthly end bravely and gave us all the most perfect example in which to live our lives. She will be missed beyond compare and remembered with great affection by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Phoneil Hedrick, her older brother Ron Hedrick, her first niece Dana Hedrick and the husband of her daughter Metra, Mark Holt. She is Survived by her husband Ali Almai of Creighton, Mo., Daughter and husband Cathy and Brett Mahurin along with their children Madelyn, Reagan and Abby Mahurin of Lee's Summit, Mo., Daughter and husband Metra and Mark Augustin along with their children Hope and Jacob Augustin of Kansas City, Mo., her Brother Ron's children, Rick and wife Kim Hedrick of Harrisonville, Mo. and Janiece Leigh and her husband Geoffrey along with their children Ellianna and Sophie Leigh of Columbia, Mo., Sister and husband Cathy and Mike Little of Lee's Summit, Mo., along with their children Brooke and Ryan Ferrell of Kansas City, Mo., Dylan and Emilee Little of Kansas City, Mo. and Erin Little of Lee's Summit, Mo., Brother and wife Stan and Sharon Hedrick of Peculiar, Mo. along with daughter and husband Valerie and Mike Maynard of Kansas City, Mo., Brother Dale Hedrick of Kingsville, Mo. and his daughter Nikki Steen of Loveland, Co. and Dale Hedrick's wife Olivia Hedrick and son Oscar Buffardi of Kingsville, Mo. Those wishing to send a gift may make donations and Tributes in Donna Almai's name to Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri by accessing powellgardens.org.
The daughter of Lee and Phoneil Hedrick, Donna grew up in the Kansas City and Chillicothe, Missouri areas, taking occasional ballet and piano lessons and later a southern subdivision of the Hickman Mills area in Kansas City, where she gained a love for horses, attending and later graduating from Ruskin High School in 1964. Donna, a born again Christian, went on to be a popular buyer for the wig and hair salon department in the Jones Store of downtown Kansas City and traveling to several different cities to set up boutiques in many of their stores and briefly living in Miami, Florida to further that career from 1967 to 1972. She went on to a greater position with Eva Gabor International in North Kansas City. She also was an employee of the Hartford Insurance Company. On September 5, 1969, she married Mohammad Ali Almai at the Longview Methodist Church in Kansas City. Donna and Ali had two daughters, Catherine Shahla (Mahurin) Almai born January 21, 1974 and Metra Elaine (Almai Holt) Augustin on December 9, 1975. Donna was one of the original founders of the Harmony In A World Of Difference Organization in the Ruskin Heights area, helping racial factions from all walks of life to come together through interaction. She was a dedicated volunteer for the Wayside Waifs Animal Adoption Shelter and later aided in the passage of stricter animal rights legislation in the state of Missouri and found a great deal of joy with husband Ali raising Champion Miniature Pinschers and Yorkshire Terriers in the Longview Acres business. She was an avid gardener, taking bare plots of unplantable ground and turning them into fragrant paradises. Donna loved nature and animals but her true love was for her family, both close and extended, always seeing the humor in persons or circumstance. Her husband and daughters were everything to her and she never lost sight of her feelings for them. Along with her family, Donna reveled in the many trips and outings to Noel, Missouri where everyone in her extended family came together to enjoy the lake and all that nature had to offer. She adored being a Grandmother and never stopped shy of excelling at that role in her life. Throughout Donna's life she made several trips to Arcadia, Louisiana to visit with her mother's family and loved both the time with her relatives and the admiration she shared with her husband Ali and the rest of the family over her Great grandmothers home and land in the country. In her remaining days, all she could think about was her husband and family. She met her earthly end bravely and gave us all the most perfect example in which to live our lives. She will be missed beyond compare and remembered with great affection by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Phoneil Hedrick, her older brother Ron Hedrick, her first niece Dana Hedrick and the husband of her daughter Metra, Mark Holt. She is Survived by her husband Ali Almai of Creighton, Mo., Daughter and husband Cathy and Brett Mahurin along with their children Madelyn, Reagan and Abby Mahurin of Lee's Summit, Mo., Daughter and husband Metra and Mark Augustin along with their children Hope and Jacob Augustin of Kansas City, Mo., her Brother Ron's children, Rick and wife Kim Hedrick of Harrisonville, Mo. and Janiece Leigh and her husband Geoffrey along with their children Ellianna and Sophie Leigh of Columbia, Mo., Sister and husband Cathy and Mike Little of Lee's Summit, Mo., along with their children Brooke and Ryan Ferrell of Kansas City, Mo., Dylan and Emilee Little of Kansas City, Mo. and Erin Little of Lee's Summit, Mo., Brother and wife Stan and Sharon Hedrick of Peculiar, Mo. along with daughter and husband Valerie and Mike Maynard of Kansas City, Mo., Brother Dale Hedrick of Kingsville, Mo. and his daughter Nikki Steen of Loveland, Co. and Dale Hedrick's wife Olivia Hedrick and son Oscar Buffardi of Kingsville, Mo. Those wishing to send a gift may make donations and Tributes in Donna Almai's name to Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri by accessing powellgardens.org.
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