Mary Jo Donahue

Mary Jo Donahue, 80, of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on August 8, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Born on February 14, 1945, in Louisville, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Mary Gray. Mary Jo was a light in the lives of many. She had a gift for turning strangers into friends and making everyone feel welcome, whether through a friendly phone call or a joyful get-together. She took great joy and pride in her home, especially her yard, which she lovingly decorated for every season and holiday.

She cherished time with her family, playing bingo, bunco, and Yahtzee, and enjoyed Sunday trips to peddler’s malls with her husband, Marvin. She loved getting her nails done—always with sparkles, enjoyed her daily and nightly phone calls with her daughter and granddaughter. She delighted in special tea parties with them, eventually finding a tea she loved that tasted just like Tootsie Rolls. Mary Jo also had a creative spirit, making candles and centerpieces for weddings, her smile lighting up when she saw the joy her finished work brought to others. Mary also loved getting hugs from her grandson Jeremy because she said he always smelled so good.  She adored all the children in her neighborhood and never met a child that she did not treat as her own.

She is survived by her loving husband of 29 years, Marvin Donahue; her daughter, Kimberly Cleaver; siblings, Helen Walters (David), Emma Hollon (Bill), and Clarence Gray (Jeanie); grandchildren, Jodi Franklin (T.J.), Jeremy Cleaver, Dalton Mitchell, Cody Mitchell and Landen Mitchell; great-grandchildren, Sophia, Dallas, Grayson, Octavia, and Oceania; brothers-in-law, Paul, Pete and Rodney Donahue and numerous extended family members and friends who loved her dearly.

In addition to her parents, she is reunited in death by her son, Richard Mitchell Jr.; her grandmother, Iva Motherhead; and siblings, Phyllis Gray and Timothy Gray.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Legacy Nunnelley Chapel, 4327 Taylor Blvd., Louisville, KY 40215. A funeral service will follow at 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mary Jo will be remembered for her open heart, her creative touch, her love of life’s little joys, and the countless ways she brought light, laughter, and love to all who knew her.

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