The Rev. Valencia Lolita Dillon-Donaldson of Fort Washington, Md., entered into eternal rest on Monday, Aug. 6, 2018.

The daughter of the late Willie Lemar and Ruby Cross-Dillon and the niece of the late Verna Bell Dillon-Brock was born Feb. 15, 1961, in Bogalusa. She attended Bogalusa City schools and was an honor graduate of Bogalusa High School, the Class of 1979, where she was a member of the Senior Class Advisory Board. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 1983, and then worked for NASA as a contractor in Houston, Texas, in 1985. Valencia then enrolled in Jackson State University, where she received her Masters Degree in Sociology.

From there, Valencia continued her education at Howard University in Washington, D.C. While pursuing her Ph.D., she worked in Substance Abuse/HIV/AIDS treatment and recovery for women and their children as a Clinical Program Director. This work would become a major part of her life’s purpose and work. Valencia carried the astuteness of a licensed clinician, and the impassioned commitment of a Minister in her work, would eventually extend into Maryland, Louisiana, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia.

Valencia’s life continued to become more spiritually driven, as she became the clinical substance abuse Program Director for Volunteers of America in the Chesapeake Region. While there, she enrolled and began her studies with Iyania VanZant’s Innervisions Institute for Spiritual Development. At the same time, Valencia was considered for ordination through Volunteers of America. After an exhaustive process of study, preparation and application, Valencia Dillon-Donaldson became an ordained minister through the Volunteers of America on June 3, 2018. Reverend Valencia was a member of Ebenezer AME Church of Fort Washington, where she worked with The Women’s Ministry.

Her beautiful and spiritual life will forever be cherished in the lives of her husband, The Rev. Eric Ovid Donaldson; their children, Adam (who preceded her into eternal life in 2002), Deja’ Denise and Davon William Ovid; her brother, Vermon L. (the Rev. Dr. Gloria) Dillon of Xenia, Ohio; brother-in-law, Etheredge (Lauretta) Donaldson Sr. of Houston, Texas; sister-in-law, Angela D. Donaldson of Detroit, Mich.; nephews, Micah L. Dillon of Xenia, Ohio, Charles (Sabrina) Wade of Trotwood, Ohio, Etheredge Donaldson Jr. and Grant Donaldson of Houston; cousins, friends and colleagues.

There will be a Memorial Service in Bogalusa for family and friends to honor the memory of the Rev. Valencia “Mookie” Donaldson, to be announced at a later date in the Spring of 2019.