Original Maybelline family descendant, Donna Williams, passed away January 2nd. 2018

0n January 2, 2018, my beautiful sister, Donna Jean Williams passed away in her Dana Point home after a year long battle with cancer.

Donna was born, March 24, 1949, in Santa Monica, California and grew up in Culver City, CA. An original descendant of the famed Maybelline family and MGM executives.

She attended Westchester Lutheran School, Linda Vista Grammar School, in Blair Hills CA, Notra Dame Academy, Culver City Jr and High School and finally Santa Monica High School and College.

Donna 1966

She loved surfing and got her first Dewey Weber surfboard on her 15th Birthday in 1964. From that time on she spent most of her time at the beaches in Santa Monica, where she hung out with a group of surfers  who represented Zephyr surfboard shop in surf competitions in the early 70's.

"The Z Boys" became a big part of Donna's life and she was there at the birth of skateboarding in Santa Monica and Venice CA. She was also interested in a modeling career and attended Patricia Stevens Modeling School and eventually became an extra in several films.

Donna with her cousins Nancy and Chuck Williams at her parents home on Lido Isle, 1971

in 1970's she lived in Marina Del Rey and enjoyed many endless summers as part of the surf generation. 

Donna and her brother Preston 1978

In the 1980's Donna began an active real estate career in Marina Del Rey . Eventually she transferred to the Dana Point CA office to be near family members. On a daily basis, Donna could be seen walking her popular poodle Lola at the Harbor. 

Donna in France on Bastille Day, 1972

Donna was a lifelong patron of the arts, world traveler, an animal activist, gifted gardener and a talented artist.

                                  "A true fashionista."

Donna and Lola 2016

In latter years she attained a business degree at Vanguard University and continued both her real estate and family financial consultant work for many years.

Donna, January 2017, right after being diagnosed stage one cancer.

 She possessed a delightful spark for life,
 full of creativity, humor and compassion enjoyed
 by all who knew her.

 She'll be especially missed by her sisters Sharrie
Lynn Williams, Billee Rae Williams,and her brother 
William Preston Williams lll.

Donna with Georgia, Craig, Rex and Kai, at her home, one month before her death

as well as her niece Georgia Youtsey, (Craig) grandnephews Kailer and Rex Youtsey and a multitude of friends, fans and colleagues.  

Donna with her sister Billee, and great nephews, Kai and Rex

A memorial party is being planned in the Spring.  Location and time will be posted soon. 

Sharrie and Donna Williams at Crystal Cove 2012

Inseparable. I will miss you until we meet again sweet sister. 

Venice Beach 80s

Never having children on her own, she was a second mother to my daughter, Georgia.

Donna 1980's Venice Beach roller skating

http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/latimes/donna-jean-williams-condolences/187822467?cid=full
Obituary in Sunday LA Times

Sharrie and Donna Williams at Culver City High School

In Loving Memory of Joyce May Hewes Dennehy one of the last Original Maybelline Cousins

Joyce May Hewes Dennehy 1934 - 2013

Obituary 

In her 20s Joyce moved to DC and worked at the Pentagon as an administrative assistant where she met her husband Rod. She went on a couple of safaris in Africa and took several Earthwatch trips where she worked with wolves, helped newly hatched turtles into the ocean before they were gobbled by predators, and went on a dolphin watch. In Florida Joyce volunteered at a women's crisis center where she handled phone calls and made referrals... She completed her college degree in her 50s. She became very involved in animal welfare and established a charitable foundation after she came back to Illinois. She donated to many causes and liked to contribute to particular projects like a van for a dalmation rescue (dubbed the Lulumobile after her dog Lulu) and a specially built whirlpool for a paralyzed kangaroo later named Joycearoo. 

Joyce was very close to her brother Tom and hoped he was the first person she saw after she passed.  She also loved my uncle Tony. Joyce, Tom and Tony liked to pal around together when he stayed with the Hewes family. 

Joyce Hewes with her uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company, on one of her trips to California.

Joyce with Arnold Anderson, one of the three men living at at her uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, estate in Bel Air California.

Please click on the little box to the right to enlarge page..This beautiful card was made by Joyce's niece's Donna and Linda

An email from Joyce to me

Sharrie I was lucky enough to visit uncle Lyle in Ca. four times. One time our whole family drove out. I remember Tom had just gotten his driver's license and wanted to drive constantly - much to my mother's horror. So I must have been about twelve. We all had such a great time.

Then for some reason when I was in my early 20's my best friend Joan and I flew out for a visit.  This was during the Arnold days. The thing that seemed to most impress Joan was not the lovely house or grounds or view, but the fact that in a household of three men someone thought to provide sanitary napkins in our bathroom. Pretty funny!

Another time I had been on a visit to Hawaii and stopped to visit Uncle Ile in Bel Air for a few days on my way back.. Also in my latter 20's, I was living in Washington DC and two girlfriends and I decided to drive cross country. It was quite an adventure and perhaps the high point was our visit with Unk Ile at the apex of our long journey. We had many adventures.

And of course Uncle Ile returned to Chicago periodically and visited all the families. I was a very shy child but I adored him and he made me very comfortable. He always for the rest of his life called me by my childhood nickname Doikey long after everyone else had forgotten it.

Anyway, Sharrie, I guess I am just trying to make the point that although you lived there and got to see him often, we here knew and loved him dearly.

I have now actually read your book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were some discrepancies which I tried to overlook, but otherwise reading the story of my family written with such love was an excellent experience. Good job.

Joyce

Joyce in the center in blue at the Maybelline family reunion - Virginia, 1990.

Joyce seated between her sister Shirley and her brother Tommy's wife Mary..1995

I was privileged to get to know Joyce the last year of her life through e-mails and Facebook conversations.  We discussed movies, TV show, books and food. She also gave me her opinion on whether she approved of my blog posts or not.  I grew to respect and care about her very much and I'm sad I never was able to meet her in person.  Joyce was only one year old when my dad moved from Chicago to California in 1935, so they never got to each other, however, my dad's half brother Tony lived with Joyce and her family in the early 1940's and she loved him very much.  Last year she was instrumental in finally placing a grave marker on Tony's unmarked grave.  I'm sure he and her brother Tommy were there to welcome her into heaven when she arrived last Christmas.

Here is the post I did about Tony's grave marker.

A forgotten member of the Maybelline Family can at last Rest in Peace. http://www.maybellinebook.com/2012/11/a-forgotten-member-of-maybelline-family.html

In Honor of Joyce, a child in the original Maybelline family

Baby Joyce, in her mother, Maybelline's namesake, Mabel Williams-Hewes arms, her father Chet Hewes and her sister Shirley and brother Tommy...1934

Maybelline cousins...right to left....Tom Lyle Jr. holding Baby Joyce Williams-Hewes, Helen and Annette Williams, my father, Bill Williams, Allen Williams, June Williams-Haines, Shirley Williams-Hewes, Marilyn Williams-Haines, Tommy Williams-Hewes, Dick Williams,
 Bobby Williams-Haines

Rest in Peace Dear Joyce.  Please leave a comment for 
Joyce's sister Shirley and her nieces... Janet, Donna and Linda.