Donna Lee Persh

Donna Lee (Ross) Persh, age 81, passed away on April 25, 2021 at her home in Wayne, NJ. She was born on November 7, 1939 in Republic, PA and raised in Perryopolis, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents; John and Anna (Mazzocco) Ross and by her loving husband of twenty-five years; Ben A. Persh.

Donna is survived by her two daughters; Penny Mandara and husband Gary, Tracy McCann and former husband John McCann, three grandchildren; Sam, Brandon, and Daniella Mandara, a sister, Lenora Guesman and her husband John, nieces; Terri (Andrew) Foster, Jill (Chris) Standley, and four great-nephews; Ian and Declan Foster, and Connor and Spencer Standley.

Donna graduated from Perry-Lower Tyrone High School in 1957 and California University of Pennsylvania in 1960, from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in speech arts, dramatics and English. In 1962, she received a master’s degree in speech/language pathology from West Virginia University. Post graduate studies at Montclair and William Paterson Universities earned certifications in learning disabilities and special education.

Donna’s work experiences have been varied and extensive, including teaching drama and public speaking at Beatty Junior High School in Warren, PA and serving as a speech pathologist in Berrien County, Michigan and Passaic and Paramus schools in New Jersey. After twenty-two years, she retired from this full-time position with the Morris Hills Regional High School District, having served as a speech pathologist, a public speaking, English, and special education teacher. Many part-time jobs followed, including instruction at William Paterson University Speech Clinic, providing early intervention, working at the New Jersey Developmental Center, the Cerebral Palsy Center in Clifton, and for Visiting Nurses of Morristown. In 2020, she finally retired at age eighty, from the New Jersey DCF School in Totowa, NJ.

Traveling was one of Donna’s great joys in life, along with spending good times with family and good friends. Donna was blessed with loving family members and with loyal caring friends. Many friends were made through active membership in the American Association of University Women and the various places where she was employed. The simple things in life gave Donna the most joy, such as driving back to Perryopolis, PA to visit with her sister and brother-in-law, attend class reunions, and visits with old friends. She also enjoyed pampering her two rescued cats, Spider and Mouse, along with being pampered by Dana Polito-Corry, her very loving home health aide.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the ALS Foundation, 1300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22209.