Donna Louise Floeck

DONNA LOUISE (RICE) FLOECK

Donna Louise (Rice) Floeck, age 71, of rural Paola, Kansas (Hillsdale area), died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at her home. She had battled kidney cancer for several months.

Donna was born April 19, 1940, in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was the only child of Don Carlos Bell and Lorna Lillian Louise (Lorch) Bell. Her parents were later divorced.

Donna was two when her mother married Harry S. Rice, Jr. Harry served in the Army Air Corps in WWII, and served stateside during the Korean War. When not actively serving his country, he worked for AT&T. Due to his work and military commitments, the family lived in Hempstead L.I., NY, Colorado Springs, CO, Afton, MO, finally settling in Raytown, MO, in 1955.

Donna attended Raytown High School and was in the class of 1958.

Donna was a go-getter. Her first job was at the age of 14. She worked several years for Hawn Bedding Company in Lee’s Summit, MO, and then as a legal secretary.

Donna was married to Karl Michael Floeck in Miami, OK, on February 2, 1981. They made their home in Syracuse, NY, where she started her own resume business, Royce Systems. They subsequently moved to Olathe, KS, and then to the Hillsdale, KS, area in the 1990’s. She was a dispatcher for their trucking company while continuing her resume business, Royce Systems of Paola. She was a gifted writer and published several articles under her pen name, Donna Royce. Donna's love of animals was unequaled and she took great pride in, and care of, her animal friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother and her step-father.

She is survived by her husband, Karl, of the home; one brother, Harry Stevens Rice and his wife Jo of Olathe, KS; one sister, Irene Rice Berndt and her husband Victor of Independence, MO; two nephews and one niece.

Rosary prayers were at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home in Osawatomie, KS. Rosary prayers were followed by a graveside Mass, and burial was in the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, east of Paola, KS.