Donna J Toles

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Donna Jenine Toles
Our loving sister, aunt, mother, cousin and friend, Donna Jenine Toles, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 17, 2014.  She was born on August 10, 1965 in New York, New York to James Arthur and Muriel Louise Potts Toles.  
Donna grew up in the Baruch Housing Community on the Lower East Side of New York and moved to South Ogden, Utah around 1998.

She was a faithful member of Emmanuel Church of God in Christ and served the House of God faithfully as an usher.
Donna lived a life of service to her family, friends and community.  She worked as a volunteer and AIDS prevention Educator for Planned Parenthood and the Northern Utah AIDS Coalition.  

She was known as a wonderful soul food chef, a political news junkie, and a generous soul.  
Donna graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and African American Studies from Hunter College, City University of New York. She rose to every challenge that confronted her and helped her loving sister Debbie raise their siblings and family.  She had a soft heart, a sharp and thoughtful mind, a wry sense of humor, and was generous to a fault. She often jokingly ended her conversations with the refrain, “stay black”!

She is survived by her siblings, Alexander, Derrick, Anthony, Omar, Lakeema and daughter Corina; and adoring nieces Tamara, Njeri, Imani; nephews Darnell, Shawn, Jamal, Arion, Xander; and a host of cousins and others in New York and elsewhere.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Denise Toles-Lee, brother James Arthur Toles, Jr, and sister Debbie Marie Sackie.

Special thanks to Pastor John Miller, his wife and the entire congregation of Emmanuel COGIC for their love and support.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 22, 2014 at the Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, 2778 Wall Ave, Ogden.  A viewing will be held on Sunday, December 21 from 5:00 p.m.  to 7:00 p.m. at the Aaron’s Mortuary, 496 24th Street, Ogden UT 84401.