Obituaries

Donna Madrene Kessel passed away on February 19, 2026, at the age of 88.

Born in 1937 to Earnest Lonzo and Leona Pearl Osborn in Springfield, Missouri, Donna came into the world alongside her beloved twin brother, Ron. They were the youngest of five children, with three older siblings at least seventeen years their senior. Their father was an engineering supervisor with the Frisco Railroad. When the twins were young teenagers, however, he was forced to retire after a prolonged struggle with cancer, and the shape of Donna's life began to shift.

As a student at Central High School, Donna learned responsibility early and wore it naturally. She occasionally drove her father to work before his retirement, babysat children, and worked as an egg candler at a nearby farm. In high school, she secured a more substantial position as a typist and secretary at the Gospel Publishing House. Donna's earnings were a meaningful support to the family still living at home.

In the spring of 1955, at a church youth event, she met James Wesley Kessel, who had recently moved to the area. They fell in love, and were married in the spring of 1956.

As James pursued his PhD in chemistry at Caltech in Pasadena, California, Donna's own formal education remained limited to a handful of college English courses. What she lacked in classroom hours, she more than made up for in real-world experience. Throughout James' undergraduate and doctoral studies, she worked to support their family, and in 1961 gave birth to their first child, Brian Evan. After the family relocated to Rochester, New York, their second son, Bruce Alan, was born in 1965.

In 1972, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois. As James pursued a medical degree, Donna became an administrator at Lying-In Hospital. It was during this chapter that she stepped into the world of academic publishing, eventually becoming Managing Editor, Publisher, and co-owner of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine. She expanded her responsibility to include two additional peer-reviewed journals and continued publishing for over four decades — a career built entirely through curiosity, tenacity, and earned trust.

In 1976, after moving to Saint Louis, alongside her publishing work, Donna pursued another lifelong dream — property ownership. She and Ron made an investment together in a local ice cream parlor. She soon pivoted to residential real estate, acquiring family apartments in University City. She was an astute investor and a genuinely caring landlady, earning the respect and affection of her tenants and tradesmen alike over many years.

Throughout her lifetime, Donna cherished her family. She loved gathering family for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and birthday celebrations, along with any other reason to be together. She also treasured spending time with family and friends at the lake, where laughter and fun were always part of the day. Donna loved her grandchildren deeply and delighted in attending their special events. Donna always made a point of saying how much she loved her family and how proud she was of them. Giving gifts was another of Donna’s love languages. She always had endless energy to spare.

At the center of everything, Donna valued people. Her generosity and tremendous love for family and friends overflowed into all the spaces of her life. She brought family into her business and considered those in her business family. She celebrated their victories, felt their losses, and championed them in the ways that mattered most. Many came to love her as their second mother or cherished friend.

Donna is survived by her children Brian Evan Kessel (Marcia) and Bruce Alan Kessel (Elizabeth) of Saint Louis, and her grandchildren Bonnie Gregg (Jack), Sarah, Zak (Sarah), Alex (Lauren), and Emily Perham (Matthew), and four great-grandchildren.

On February 27, 2026, Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. and Memorial Service at 11 a.m. at Refresh Community Church, 829 N. Hanley Road, University City. Interment will be at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum.