DONNA L. McCOOL, 73, of Pullman, passed away on June 30, 2015 at the Avalon Care Center in Pullman, Washington surrounded by her loving family. Donna was born Jan. 25, 1942 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Don Bell & Laurabell Nims Lemon, the first of four children. She grew up in and attended school in Kingfisher, Oklahoma graduating from high school in 1960. She was inducted into the Kingfisher High School Hall of Fame in 1994. Donna attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in 1964. She received a Master's degree, with honors, in Library Sciences at Columbia University in New York in 1965. Donna was a lifelong learner, continuing to take courses in business administration, leadership, and Russian at Gonzaga University, Washington State University, and University of Washington.

On March 17, 1972 Donna married Donald McCool in Pullman, WA. She made Pullman home for them and their three sons. Donna was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker. In addition, she had an impressive career, starting with the Tulsa City-County Library System in Oklahoma and then joining Washington State University Libraries in positions ranging from Reference Librarian to Associate Director for Administrative Services to Acting Director of Libraries. While at WSU she started working internationally in China, then in Russia, and concluding with the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She also focused on special projects at WSU, serving as the WSU coordinator for AgNIC from 1997-1999 and chairing the Building Committee for the Holland Library from 1989-1994. Donna retired from WSU in 1999 and took a Senior Fulbright Scholar position at Moscow State University of Culture and Art. She continued to work with the Fulbright Program reviewing applications until her recent illness. She has been an active member of the American Library Association since 1968. From 1996-2007 Donna hosted and planned professional programs for librarians from Russia and Uzbekistan. In 2001, Donna received her Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and was an ESL instructor and visiting professor in Moscow, Russia in 2002. She was also an ESL tutor with the Literacy Council of the Palouse from 2001-2004. For the past fifteen years Donna was a library consultant, lecturer, and presenter on American libraries and management topics.

Donna was a longtime member of Simpson United Methodist Church and especially during her retirement became very active in many areas of church life. Genealogy was one of Donna's passions. She was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and spent considerable time compiling detailed family information for the local DAR chapter. Donna had many interests and hobbies that included cooking, gardening, and extensively traveling throughout the US and internationally for work and pleasure. She instilled a love of travel with her family, from road trips to Spokane to living abroad in Moscow, Russia, or traveling with Don to Alaska, Norway, Egypt, Turkey, and Spain.

Donna is survived by her loving husband Don in Pullman, having celebrated 43 years of marriage this past March; three sons, James (Chelsea) of Pullman, Robert of Brooklyn, NY, John (Sarah and granddaughter Annabell) of Woburn, MA; her sister Barbara (Charles) O'Neill of Cheyenne, OK; and sister-in-law Patricia Lemon of Piedmont, OK. You are invited to join Donna's family for a time of visitation at Kimball Funeral Home on Sunday, July 5, 2015 from 11AM-2PM. The funeral service will be held at 10AM on Monday, July 6 at Simpson United Methodist Church in Pullman, WA, with a reception to follow. The burial service will be held later in Hydro, Oklahoma. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman, WA is caring for the family. Memorial donations in memory of Donna McCool may be made to United Way of Pullman, Friends of Neill Public Library in Pullman or Community Action Center in Pullman.