Rest in Peace Pandy Paws

[TeresaNJ]

So very sad. I remember Donna very well. Such a very nice person. Prayers for her family.

 

[Buckalew11]

Hello everyone....It's been a long time. Sorry i am here under these conditions. Donna and I had dinner about 5 weeks ago, just a week or so after she had taken a tumble at work and hurt her back. hge went to more than one Dr. and they told her it was disc damage. The pain kept getting worse and she webnt to Celebration Hospital where she was diagnosed with lung cancer and it had spread rapidly to her blood and bones. She was given a matter of days at that point.

She passed Saturday night at 10:25. Her sons Martin and Ryan were by her side when she passed. She was a good friend and loved being a CM at Disney. She will be missed by us all. It will be very strange walking into The Magic Kingdom and seeing the train pull into the station knowing Pandy won't be guiding it this time.

God speed my friend............

Thanks, Tony. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. She will be around that train in spirit, I'm sure.

 

[Crissup]

I love this memorial image someone created (It's from a blog post from Mike Thomas located here... Walt Disney World Railroad Cast Bid Farewell To Fellow Cast Member)

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Hello everyone....It's been a long time. Sorry i am here under these conditions. Donna and I had dinner about 5 weeks ago, just a week or so after she had taken a tumble at work and hurt her back. hge went to more than one Dr. and they told her it was disc damage. The pain kept getting worse and she went to Celebration Hospital where she was diagnosed with lung cancer and it had spread rapidly to her blood and bones. She was given a matter of days at that point.

She passed Saturday night at 10:25. Her sons Martin and Ryan were by her side when she passed. She was a good friend and loved being a CM at Disney. She will be missed by us all. It will be very strange walking into The Magic Kingdom and seeing the train pull into the station knowing Pandy won't be guiding it this time.

God speed my friend............

That is so sad and disturbing and frightening.

{{{Hugs}}} Tony.

 

[SeaSpray]

What sad news. My family met her family at a DIS meet here in MA (I think the meet that was in Plymouth at Alex's house in 2002 or 2003). She was very nice and her love of Disney World was apparent. She was still living in CT at that time, but she mentioned wanting to move to Florida some day to work at WDW. I'm so glad that she made that happen for herself. I always looked for her in AK, but never did see her there.

Thinking back, she is one of the first people who helped me choose the resort for our first family trip in 2001. She and her family had recently stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort and she shared her pictures on the Resorts board. I loved looking at her pictures, and we ended up loving that resort. In fact, her simple page of pictures from CBR is what inspired me to create my own web site full of my family's Disney vacations. So I thank her for that inspiration because sharing our vacation pictures online has brought me a lot of enjoyment over the years.

I know that her sons are a few years younger than my sons; what a tough age to lose a parent. Of course, any age is tough to lose a loved one, but.... I'm very close to my sons, and I bet that Donna was close to hers, too, so it makes me extremely sad for them, for having lost her so soon.

 

[mamajoan]

sometimes I forget how long I have been around The Dis. wow.... this is very sad news. I have many fond memories of Pandy Paws posts.

If there is a train in heaven, I hope Donna is upon it! May God keep her family close at hand and bless them with comfort in her joyous memories.

 

[RitaZ.]

I'm saddened by this news. I never met Donna in person, but I remember her from the early days here on the DIS. She was always kind in her posts.

I'm glad that she pursued her dream to move to FL and work for Disney. Many people spend their lives planning and talking about what they would like to do, but never carry out their plans. Donna did what she set out to do.

She was much too young. My thoughts are with her sons, friends and family.

 

[0ldkicker]

This is so very sad.

I managed to run into Donna a couple of times in Disney World, although it has been several years. I remember that I first met her in real life at a DIS Meet on Cape Cod. She came running up with a huge smile and gave a big hug and had a soccer-playing Mickey pin for me. I have that pin pinned to a curtain in my office and am looking at it now with a real sense of loss. She was one of the good ones.

Sorry to bump this up after it had dropped away. I don't get around much any more and was shocked to hear of Donna's passing.

Seeing so many familiar names from back in the day makes me realize how special that time was. Losing Pandy makes me realize that even more and also recognize just how fleeting it all is.

Blessings to you all. And special prayers for Donna's family.

 

[Buckalew11]

This is so very sad.

I managed to run into Donna a couple of times in Disney World, although it has been several years. I remember that I first met her in real life at a DIS Meet on Cape Cod. She came running up with a huge smile and gave a big hug and had a soccer-playing Mickey pin for me. I have that pin pinned to a curtain in my office and am looking at it now with a real sense of loss. She was one of the good ones.

Sorry to bump this up after it had dropped away. I don't get around much any more and was shocked to hear of Donna's passing.

Seeing so many familiar names from back in the day makes me realize how special that time was. Losing Pandy makes me realize that even more and also recognize just how fleeting it all is.

Blessings to you all. And special prayers for Donna's family.

Hi OK! Nice to see you even if it is under these sad circumstances.
I hope all is well with you--thanks for being such a nice friend here on the DIS.
Someday...

 

[kathymc]

Wow - how sad and much too young, RIP Donna.

Hugs to all her friends and family.

 

[Ranatra]

I'm really sorry to hear this news.
I originally met Donna at an Ocean City, NJ DIS meet back in September 2001 and again at WDW in 2005.
I'm glad she got to live her dream if only for a short while.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I am sorry to hear this news.
I remember her from the old days on the DIS.
I don't check in here often, but am planning a trip and popped by and saw this. I will say a prayer for her boys.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Donna was one of my closest friends on the DISboards. She even dropped by our home in Ohio with the boys once when she was travelling to a DISmeet in Chicago. As I recall, her boys were 5 and 10 and the time and they were a handful. It seems like bad luck followed her throughout her life, but she always kept a smile on her face and a "never quit' attitude in her heart. Working for Disney was a dream come true for her. I always looked for (and often found her) driving safari trucks at the Animal Kingdom and, in later years, driving the steam locomotives around the Magic Kingdom. I just saw a couple of photos of Donna on Facebook this morning and was wondering how Martin and Ryan were doing. At least I know that Donna's worldly troubles have ended and that she is now at peace.

According to a post on her Facebook page, Donna passed away after battling cancer.

Thanks, TC for filling in the detail of how she passed on. I too remember PandyPaws very well, and last saw her when she was driving the Safari truck. It's always such a shock to hear of someone so young passing from this earth. It especially gives me chills when I know she was not much older than my "kids". RIP, Donna.

BTW, this thread has been wonderful to read all the old "familiar" names from the DIS of old.

 

[dianeschlicht]

This is so very sad.

I managed to run into Donna a couple of times in Disney World, although it has been several years. I remember that I first met her in real life at a DIS Meet on Cape Cod. She came running up with a huge smile and gave a big hug and had a soccer-playing Mickey pin for me. I have that pin pinned to a curtain in my office and am looking at it now with a real sense of loss. She was one of the good ones.

Sorry to bump this up after it had dropped away. I don't get around much any more and was shocked to hear of Donna's passing.

Seeing so many familiar names from back in the day makes me realize how special that time was. Losing Pandy makes me realize that even more and also recognize just how fleeting it all is.

Blessings to you all. And special prayers for Donna's family.

Nice to see you here, Bernie!!! Miss that soccer ball kicking Mickey around here! Sorry it has to be under these circumstances though.

 

[Deb in IA]

This is so very sad.

I managed to run into Donna a couple of times in Disney World, although it has been several years. I remember that I first met her in real life at a DIS Meet on Cape Cod. She came running up with a huge smile and gave a big hug and had a soccer-playing Mickey pin for me. I have that pin pinned to a curtain in my office and am looking at it now with a real sense of loss. She was one of the good ones.

Sorry to bump this up after it had dropped away. I don't get around much any more and was shocked to hear of Donna's passing.

Seeing so many familiar names from back in the day makes me realize how special that time was. Losing Pandy makes me realize that even more and also recognize just how fleeting it all is.

Blessings to you all. And special prayers for Donna's family.

Not to hijack this thread, but I just wanted to give a big shout out to Bernie, and tell him how much I miss his Friday Places Posts . . . back in the good old days . . .

 

[Deb in IA]

This is so very sad.

I managed to run into Donna a couple of times in Disney World, although it has been several years. I remember that I first met her in real life at a DIS Meet on Cape Cod. She came running up with a huge smile and gave a big hug and had a soccer-playing Mickey pin for me. I have that pin pinned to a curtain in my office and am looking at it now with a real sense of loss. She was one of the good ones.

Sorry to bump this up after it had dropped away. I don't get around much any more and was shocked to hear of Donna's passing.

Seeing so many familiar names from back in the day makes me realize how special that time was. Losing Pandy makes me realize that even more and also recognize just how fleeting it all is.

Blessings to you all. And special prayers for Donna's family.

Not to hijack this thread, but I just wanted to give a big shout out to Bernie, and tell him how much I miss his Friday Places Posts . . . back in the good old days . . .

 

[lucas]

Oh my gosh. I am so sorry to hear the news. Very sad.

 

[cm8]

Her family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[skuttle]

Oh, how sad! I remember following her move to WDW and then when she became a CM on the safari. So young.

 

[Towncrier]

A memorial service is planned for April 14th from noon until 5PM at the Independence Community Club House, 14213 Pleach Street, Winter Garden, Florida. Lunch and refreshments will be served. Words of inspiration from Rev. Bob Schall at 2:30PM. Meet afterwards at 6:30PM at Kitty O'Shea's Pub as the group continues to celebrate Donna's life.

(From Facebook)