Donna L. McMichael

Donna McMichael passed away on January 3, 2026. She was born in 1940, the only daughter of Howard Reabuck and Veda (Brown) Reabuck. Donna graduated from Vestal High School in 1959. She married Richard J. Crawford in 1963, and was predeceased by him in 1968. A widow at 27 with a 3-year old daughter, Donna was a hard-working single mom who always put her young daughter first. Life was a challenge, but she met it with strength, determination and an admirable work ethic.
She saved up and was proud to be able to buy her own boat in 1970. She took immaculate care of the boat, washed it and polished it all the time. Every weekend was spent at the lake water skiing, teaching others to ski, and offering a tow to anyone along the lake who wanted to bring their skis over. She was 70 years old the last time she water skied. Many fun trips were had with Penny, Sweeper and Wendy, this foursome heading out on all sorts of fun car adventures every weekend. Donna met Don McMichael in 1981 and they married in 1988. Don taught her to drive tractor-trailer, and she obtained her CDL and they drove tractor-trailer as owner-operators for many years until retiring. She truly enjoyed being on the road with Don, traveling and exploring the country. She was predeceased by Don in 2016. Donna was extremely proud of her family, she loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren so very much, loved visits and phone calls, and her home was filled with pictures of them.
Donna’s door was always open to friends and neighbors (“C’mon in!”), the coffee pot was always on, the kitchen table was always welcoming, and the front porch chairs always ready for anyone who wanted to drop by to chat. And drop by, they did! All her life, friends and neighbors would stop over every day for coffee and conversation. There were always people sitting around the kitchen table talking and laughing. She also loved her giant porch and her big yard full of pretty flowers and ornamental trees.
Donna was a cat-lover and owned many cats throughout her life. When a stray cat would appear on her porch, she would feed it and look after it. She also cherished Kate’s dog Khloe, who lived with her for a time while Kate was in college. She adored Khloe; this dog held a special place in her heart that no other pet had. Donna enjoyed traveling to Aruba with Penny and Karl two times and especially enjoyed going down the water slide when she was 78 years old. In recent years, she found great joy in following country music star Lainey Wilson, and attending one of her concerts was a highlight.
Donna is survived by one daughter, Penny (Crawford) Price (Karl), two grandchildren Kaitlin Cavagnaro-Price (Rose), and Zachary Price, and by two great-grandchildren, Kasie and Pat.
A graveside service will be planned for late spring of 2026.