Pat Donat, an early crew member for the Northwest Arkansas Gridiron, died June 25, 2007, at Fayetteville City Hospital and is buried at National Cemetery in Fayetteville. She was 87.
She was born August 28, 1919, in Wexford County, Michigan to Clyde and Ida Cooper. After graduating from high school as valedictorian of her class, she went on to become a registered nurse, graduating from Cook County School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. She worked in public health nursing in Chicago. After marrying Anthony Donat, a career military officer, she spent years in the role of army wife.
After 30 years of service, the family retired to Fayetteville where she embarked on a long career as a reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Times. During her tenure, she wrote feature stories, covered the school and hospital board meetings, and whatever else was required. She loved her work and often said she would have happily paid the newspaper to let her work there. After retiring from the Northwest Arkansas Times, she did extensive volunteer work for the Fayetteville Library and The Attic at Fayetteville City Hospital. She also researched and compiled histories of both Fayetteville City Hospital and Washington Regional Hospital. For hobbies, she enjoyed painting and drawing.
During the early 1980s Gridirons, she never too the stage but instead helped in the early seasons providing food for the intermission and serving.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Anthony D. Donat; her two sisters, Clara Sickles of Boise, Idaho, and Rosemary Purnell of Denver, Colorado; and a grandson, Kevin Donat of Houston.
Survivors included Michael and Lela Donat of Springdale; their two sons Richard Donat of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Clark Donat of Fayetteville; and numerous grandchildren.