Donna Jo Desalvo

Popular Oklahoma City Musician/Singer/Songwriter, Donna DeSalvo, passed away on December 27, 2012. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 8, 1952 to Anthony B. and Mary Jim "Jimmie" DeSalvo, who preceded her in death. She is survived by a brother, Jim DeSalvo of Barling, Arkansas; her "Two Sisters who really could cook" Annette Bedell of Seal Beach, California, and Denise Cornell of Houston, Texas. Donna cherished her nieces and nephew, Scott and Lindsay Bedell, of Seal Beach, California and Katie Cornell of Houston, Texas. She is also survived by her best friend, Jill Burroughs, of Oklahoma City, and countless other friends. She is also survived by her beloved four legged family: dogs, Charlie Brown and Callie; and cats, Mister, Ne Ne, Rocky, Little Man, Orphan Annie, Amelia and Nora. Donna was very proud to be the first female paramedic for the Norman Police Department. She worked at United Parcel Service as a preloader then driver. She worked at Dale Rogers Training Center as a Job Coach where she first began working with individuals with disabilities. She later became a vocational rehabilitation counselor extraordinaire working for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. Donna loved her clients and never met a stranger. She had a Masters Degree in Gerontology and a Ph.D. in Life. She was larger than life. Donna was loved by all who knew her. We cannot imagine a world without our caring, big-hearted Donna Jo DeSalvo. The world is most assuredly a better place because of her. For six decades, she lit up others' lives with wit and acts of kindness. Now, "we're all hangin' in there, that's all you can do." A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at the Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania in Oklahoma City at 3:00 o'clock on Tuesday, January 1st, 2013. To honor Donna's love for animals, donations may be made in her honor to Compassion Seeds Animal Sanctuary, 13423 State Highway 76, Healdton, Oklahoma 73438 or Wild Care Foundation, 7601 84th Street, Noble, Oklahoma 73068.