Donna W.

Gliem

Donna W. Gliem, of Lakeville (formerly of Whitehall, PA), passed away at home Wednesday, November 11, age 89, with her son David Gliem, daughter Jessica Julian, and sister Thea Palmer by her bedside. She was the wife of the late Leroy (Lee) E. Gliem, to whom she was married for 47 years until his death in 2014.

Born in Lehighton on December 17, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Norman "Butch" and Helen Tepko Waldron. A 1954 graduate of Hazleton High School, Donna trained at Hazleton State General Hospital and became a Registered Nurse in 1957. She began her career there as a private duty nurse in thoracic surgery, then served as a staff medical nurse at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Hospital. While living in Guam during the Vietnam War she served with the Red Cross, providing crew relief on air evacuation flights out of Vietnam. She later worked for 19 years as a nurse and office manager for ABC Family Pediatricians in Allentown, PA, before retiring in 2000.

Donna believed in giving her time to others. She was a longtime parent volunteer in the Whitehall-Coplay schools and served for five years as secretary of the district's PTO Executive Board. She raised funds for the Heart Fund, the Cancer Fund, leukemia research, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She was a member of St. Mary's Church in Ledgedale, where she was an active volunteer.

Donna enjoyed cooking, crafts, gardening, reading, playing Mahjong, and spending time with friends and family. Many of her recipes - the "Gliem cake" and barbecue spare ribs - are family favorites and have been shared far and wide. Spending time at the beach with a plate of oysters, a cold vodka tonic, and laughing with her granddaughters was one of her greatest joys. She loved to travel and visited countries in Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

Surviving are a son David Gliem and his wife Valerie of Swannanoa, NC; a daughter Jessica Julian and her husband Patrick of Ocean View, DE; sisters Thea Palmer and her husband Christopher of San Diego, CA, and Christina Steppe of Hazleton, PA; grandchildren Gretel and Maggie Gliem and Isabella and Francesca Julian; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a sister, Roberta DiPasquale of Freeland, PA.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, December 5, at 11 am in St. Mary's Church, St. Mary's Church Rd., Ledgedale.

Friends may call at the church from 10 am until the time of Mass.

Interment will be at a future date in Arlington National Cemetery, beside her husband.

Arrangements are by the James Wilson Funeral Home, Lake Ariel.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Donna's name to the American Cancer Society.