DONNA EDWARDS MEADOWS died at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta on July 25, 2006 with her family by her side after a long and courageous battle with liver disease.  During her life she combined love of family and of community with a fierce intelligence and generosity of spirit that led her to positions of prominence and respect in Jonesboro, Georgia, the community that she lived in and which she dearly loved. 

She was the first woman mayor of Jonesboro, home of "Gone With the Wind," and the founder of Bridgeover, a charitable organization that sponsors annually a renowned Christmas musical.  She organized Bridgeover to provide assistance for the less fortunate, and considered her work there the most important she did in a long life of service to others.

She was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta on March 5th, 1944 to Thomas Edwards and Jeanette Edwards Silvey.  Her father was a carpenter who specialized in making from dogwood the shuffleblocks used in the production of quilts and fabrics.  She grew up in Athens, Georgia and attended Athens High School, then graduated with honors from Hoke High School in Atlanta. After pursuing training in accounting and tax law at Georgia State University, she worked as an accountant for the Federal Aviation Administration, then owned and operated two income tax businesses.  She was a wizard at preparing tax returns, and her combination of integrity and financial savvy helped clients to the very end of her life.  In addition, she drove a school bus for the Clayton County Board of Education for 18 years, retiring from that position in 2001 with a perfect safety record.

Donna married Henry Meadows on May 7, 1961 and was the mother of two daughters, Marti and Melly, whom she raised as a single mother after her divorce.  Despite often straitened circumstances, she provided a happy, secure, and loving home for her children and imbued them with the values of honesty, bravery, self-sufficiency, and love of God that she herself displayed throughout her life. Marti received a degree in education, works as a teacher, and has raised two beautiful children whom Donna loved beyond measure.  Melly became a respected actress, corporate spokeswoman for Coca-Cola and other companies, and gained renown as the official Scarlett O'Hara of Clayton County.  Under the aegis of Bridgeover, Melly also wrote and directed several popular musicals of which Donna was very proud.  She was a cheerleader and supporter par excellence for her children and grandchildren, who will all miss her tremendously but will keep her memory ever green in their hearts. She was a woman of enormous courage, shown in the manner she raised her family, in her fierce independence, in her willingness to fight difficult political battles, but most of all in her decision to undergo a liver transplant when she became very ill in 2004 after fighting for many years against liver disease.  After being turned down for a transplant in Atlanta, she went on the transplant list at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida on Good Friday, 2004 and had the transplant on Easter Sunday.  Although weakened by her illness, she fought on and managed for over two years to continue a full involvement in city politics, with Bridgeover, and with her family and friends.  She lived to see her daughter Melly's marriage and to see her grandchildren grow, and her family will forever be grateful for those two additional years that one generous family's organ donation made possible.

As the first woman mayor of Jonesboro, Donna was a figure of historical importance in that city, and she was a driving force for civic improvement whose legacy its citizens continue to enjoy today.  While in office from 1991-1995, she restructured the fire and police departments, fighting against cronyism and corruption in both.  She upgraded the city sewer system, and initiated both the "Beautify Jonesboro" program and the "Light Up Jonesboro" program, which added Christmas lights throughout its downtown.  After a well-deserved rest, she returned to civic involvement as an elected member of the Jonesboro City Council in 2002, and was serving on Council at the time of her death.

Donna was the president of Bridgeover, a non-profit 501(c3) organization that she founded to help people bridge over hard times in their lives. Having struggled herself to raise her children alone and run her own business, she understood that good people can have bad luck but that hard circumstances can be overcome, and she dedicated her life to helping others in need of a boost up.  Bridgeover sponsored the large-scale musicals "In the Fullness of Time" and "They Called Him Messiah" to provide inspiration and comfort and to drive an array of community service activities which included providing Christmas gifts to children in need, housing and employment opportunities for adults out of work, and encouragement of all kinds to those who had lost their way.  Donna specialized in helping people find their way back to happiness, self-confidence, and self-sufficiency, and helped hundreds of people to achieve them. Donna was especially proud of her role as the matriarch of Bridgeover's musical productions.  A cast of 250 people called her "Mom" and loved her dearly.  Always ready to lend a hand in any aspect of production and organization, she was particularly involved in costume design and production for the musicals.  Over 12 years, she created over 900 costumes, all in use today, and her expertise in this realm was invaluable in making the musicals historically accurate and visually stunning.  She also made many of her daughter Melly's dresses for her appearances as Scarlett O'Hara, and so contributed to her successes in that role.

Donna loved sports cars, motorcycles, her diesel truck, and driving in general.  She made several road trips to the western U.S., and especially loved Jackson Hole, her favorite place in the world, and the north Georgia mountains where she had a cabin.  Her sense of humor was a delight to all who knew her; she was a renowned practical joker, a whiz at jigsaw puzzles, and she was noted in Jonesboro for her outrageous yard art, which included an 18-foot dinosaur and an 8 1/2-foot chicken.  She combined better than anyone we ever knew strength of personality and goodness of heart, both of which she used to make her life exemplary. She attended Trinity Lakeside Church under pastor Bryan Lee and his wife Marlene Lee, both dear friends to Donna and her family.

She is survived by her mother Jeanette Silvey, daughters Marti Garmon and Melly McCutcheon, sister Laraine Tinsley, brother Daniel Edwards, grandchildren Austin and Melly Ainsworth, and sons-in-law Jeff Garmon (renowned diesel mechanic) and Dr. Ian McCutcheon (professor of neurosurgery at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center), and especially her beloved dog Pup Pup, also called Dog Dog but the joy of her heart under any name at all.  She is also survived by a host of friends and by the extended family of Bridgeover, who were all her sons and daughters, each and every one.

In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to Bridgeover, the charity that Donna created and led, so that her work can continue as a beacon for all.

Written by:
Dr. Ian McCutcheon
Professor of Neurosurgery, Son-in-law, Friend

Bridgeover
P.O. Box 2431 Jonesboro, GA  30237
www.inthefullnessoftime.com
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