A devout Christian and loving mother, Donna Kay Warner, 63, passed away on November 10, 2019 in Warrensburg, Mo., while surrounded by members of her family.

Donna was born in Dayton, Ohio on Aug. 30, 1956, the daughter of Don Raybourn and Geraldine (Kronour-Cornelius) Raybourn. She was part of a large extended family that also included siblings, Janet Graves Gugler, Gordon Raybourn, Carol Raybourn-Emanuel , Tonya Raybourn-Skeens, Keven Raybourn, Ronald Raybourn, Chuck Raybourn, David Cornelius and Philip Cornelius.

As a youth, Donna was active in church activities and, as her faith in God grew, she was baptized at a church camp at age 9. She attended Christian High School in Dayton, where she graduated in May 1974. During this time, she also met her high school sweetheart, Joseph D. Warner. They were married on May 25, 1974, and the couple shared 28 years together and raised four children while Joe served much of his working life in the United States Air Force. This gave the family an opportunity to travel and live in military communities across the U.S. and in Great Britain. They were not without hardship. While residing in Homestead, Florida in August 1992, they lost their home and most of their belongings to Hurricane Andrew. With a strong faith, Donna and Joe brought their family back to the Midwest, a place where she greatly enjoyed the seasons, and began a new life in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2002 Joe passed away after a brief and serious illness.

Donna was employed at EnerSys for many years and was active in her church. She was a very humble, but a proud parent and devoted grandmother who loved talking about her four children and their families. She is survived by her daughter, Angel Avery and her husband Craig Avery, and children Jeremiah and Israel of Johnston, Iowa; son Joseph Warner and his wife, Michaelle, of Overland Park, Kan.;  daughter Amanda Warner and her daughter, Faith, of Sarasota, Florida; and son, Nicholas Warner, his wife Jacki and daughter, Karalyne, of Warrensburg.

Donna's longstanding relationship with Jesus Christ included attending Assembly of God and the Church of God congregations from 1981 until early January 2018. She joined the First Baptist Church in Warrensburg in winter 2018. Those who know her well seldom left an encounter with Donna without learning what God did for her that day or was going to do. She had a passion for decorating, which she often shared with her church family and in the workplace, hoping her work would brighten the days of others. With a kind and generous heart, she befriended people in need, sharing her own personal belongings, and donating her time and modest financial resources for causes and people she cared about, and sometimes those she barely knew.

She had a sense of humor and a contagious laugh, and approached life with a positive attitude, even in times of great illness and personal loss. Among her greatest joys were children, tending to her many flowers and plants, which sometimes ended up in neighbors' yards, and the opportunity to care for a number of pets and stray animals that found her doorstep. A seasoned shopper, most recently, she was introduced to Amazon Prime, which she believed was one of the world's greatest discoveries.

Funeral services are being coordinated by Williams Funeral Chapel. The family will receive friends at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 13 ^th , followed by the memorial service at 2pm, both at 1400 S. Maguire, with Pastor Craig Avery officiating.  Burial will follow at Warrensburg Memorial Gardens.

The Warner family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff, better known as Donna's newest family members, at Ascend Hospice. Thank you for their attentiveness and loving care.

Donna loved flowers and opportunities to love and care for others. Should friends desire, flowers are welcome. If friends wish to give to a wonderful organization that brought so much joy to Donna, memorials may be made in Donna's name to Ascend Hospice.