Donna Y Cook Starnes was born in La Grange, Texas and died in Austin, Texas at the age of 70. She is survived by her husband, Gerry C Starnes, two sons, and two grandsons. Her brother resides in La Grange, Texas.
Her parents, Oscar Lee Cook and Lucille HB Kleiber Cook preceded her in death.
Donna was a loving and generous mother and wife, in addition to being a gifted artist and photographer. She was a beloved, active part of the Austin Ecstatic Dance community for more than 20 years.
Donna graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Art from Southwest Texas State University in 1978, where she worked for several years in the Media Services department. In the early 2000’s, she and her husband purchased NiaSpace in Austin, where Donna taught The Nia Technique and facilitated ecstatic dance practice for more than a decade.
Her creative art, photography, and ecstatic dance passions continued and blossomed through the following two decades. Her creative passion continued until her passing in mid-2025.
She is generally described by friends as “a beautiful artistic creative spirit and such a welcoming warm part of the dance community – a vibrant, radiant light who made lives better. She will be greatly missed.”
Gerry and Donna were happily married for 51 years.