Donna Jean Murphy Grist, 91, of Sunnyside Retirement Community, Harrisonburg, VA, died June 11, 2019, in Harrisonburg, VA. She was born Feb. 20, 1928, in New Castle, PA, and was the daughter of John Herbert Murphy and Mary Elizabeth Riney Murphy.

On Aug. 30, 1947, she married Richard Paul Grist, Sr., in New Castle, PA, who preceded her in death on Jan. 30, 2015.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg, VA, where she taught Sunday School and women’s circle studies and volunteered as church librarian. She served on Highlands Presbytery, Synod of the Virginias Council for six years. She also taught Sunday School and circles and served as an elder in the Princeton Presbyterian Church, Princeton, WV. She retired as librarian from the Princeton (WV) Public Library in 1988 and moved with her husband into the Sunnyside Presbyterian Retirement Community in 1994.

She is survived by two daughters, Linda Grist Cunningham and husband Ed, Key West, FL; Elizabeth Anne Grist, West Des Moines, IA; three sons, Michael John Grist and wife Vicki, Millboro, VA; Richard Paul Grist, Jr., and wife Mary, Clintonville, WV; and, Robert Edward Grist and wife Kara, Fishersville, VA; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law Doris Grist Johnson of Scottsdale, AZ.

A private family memorial service will be held at a future date.

Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Fellowship Fund, Sunnyside Presbyterian Retirement Community, 600 University Boulevard, Suite I, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.