Donnie Taylor Rowell, 71, of Portsmouth, Va., passed away on Sept. 26, 2012. A native of Willard, N.C., she was the daughter of the late Oran J. Taylor Sr. and Iva Lee Taylor.  She was also predeceased by her husband, Herbert Boyd “Sonny” Rowell Sr. and her son, Mark Rowell. After serving over 25 years as a respiratory therapist, she retired from Obici Hospital.

She is survived by her son, Herbert “Bert” B. Rowell Jr., of Suffolk, and her two grandchildren, Candice and Cody Rowell; a brother and his wife, Oran J. Taylor Jr. (Anita); a nephew, James Oran Taylor Sr.; a niece, Kimberlee T. Ward; numerous other family and friends. The family would like to thank the friends and staff members at Obici for their love and support.

A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Parr Funeral Home and Crematory with the Rev. Tim Rawls officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the American Cancer Society, Suffolk Chapter, 604 Constance Woods Drive, Suffolk, VA 23434. Condolences may be registered at www.parrfuneralhome.com.