Obituary of Donna Kathryn Honig

Donna Kathryn Honig died on December 12, 2019, nine days after the passing of her beloved husband, Dr. James Honig. Donna was born in 1942 in New Orleans, to Walter Earl and Lillian Vertner, originally of Plain City, Ohio. Donna was the oldest of six children, brothers Walter Earl (deceased), Howard Edgar (deceased), Jeffrey Dale (deceased), and sisters Joanne Marie Freeman of St. Petersburg, Florida and Brenda Robinson (married to Russ) of Gainesville, Florida. She is survived by her daughter, Paige Lorraine Simonson, of Los Angeles, California, son, Kevin Thomas Mahaney, of Cape Canaveral, Florida and by her bonus children, Susan Beth Honig of Mims, Florida, David Benjamin Honig (Robyn) of Carmel, Indiana, and Ruth Honig Evans (Michael), of Santa Clarita, California. She also is survived by her delightful, loveable and brilliant grandchildren, Joshua Alexander Honig and Ari Michael Honig of Carmel, Indiana. Donna graduated from Hughes High School in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1959, attended the University of Cincinnati Nursing School and graduated from Methodist Bethesda School of Nursing in 1964. She married Thomas Harold Mahaney in August of 1964. They moved to Huntsville, Alabama where Tom began a career at Brown Engineering and remained working in various Space Center companies after they moved to Brevard County, Florida in 1965. At that time, Donna began working in Pediatric Nursing in the offices of the Kenaston Clinic. After the birth of Paige and Kevin, she worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse. In 1973, she began studies in a two year post graduate course in Nurse Anesthesia in Columbia, South Carolina. A new chapter began in her life when she moved back to Brevard County, Florida and in 1978 married James Honig, M.D. She worked as his OB/GYN surgical assistant until several years later when she developed a severe illness which had no cure. Dr. Jim remained her devoted caregiver each time the disease came out of remission. Donna became a member of the Georgianna United Methodist Church and found many welcoming friends, including Pastor Corky Calhoun. She was also a talented watercolorist, a Master Gardener, a voracious reader, and an avid traveler with Jim on many worldwide adventures. She was a member of the American Association of Registered Nurses, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Watercolor Association, the Brevard Watercolor Society, and the Central Brevard Art Association. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Georgianna United Methodist Church of Merritt Island, or the Central Brevard Art Association.