Donna Marie Critchfield Gillikin

Donna Marie Critchfield Gillikin, 85, of Aurora, NC passed away Tuesday, February, 14, 2023 at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC.

Born on October, 3, 1937 to Paul and Binnie (Auman) Critchfield in Somerset County, PA, she spent her childhood in Meyersdale, PA and Baltimore, MD.

Donna attended Kenwood High School in Essex, MD, where she graduated in the top of her class. She attended Business Secretarial School following high school. After high school she met the love of her life, Lowell Thomas (Tom) Gillikin, and they married at the age of 18. During their 62 years of marriage, they raised four boys and lived in Baltimore, MD, Chesterton, IN and Aurora, NC.

Along with being a homemaker, Donna worked as the Secretary of Church Relations at Valparaiso University (IN). Her sons were her life and she had an immense love for her family. She used her shorthand and writing skills to correspondence with family and friends, sending cards and never missing a birthday. She had a wonderful voice and sang beautiful lullabies to her sons and grandchildren. She was a woman of prayer and faith, a member of White Hill FWB Baptist Church in Aurora, NC, and a former member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Chesterton, IN.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Binnie Critchfield, her husband Lowell Thomas Gillikin, and five siblings Kenneth Critchfield, Dorothy Tice, Mary Jane Kirchner, Ruth Baker and Pauline Scheisser.

Donna is survived by her four sons, John Thomas (Cheryl) of Chesterton, IN, Paul Douglas (Kim) of Winterville, NC, Kenneth Craig (Margaret) of Rock Hill, SC and Michael David (Jennifer) of Winterville, NC; eight grandchildren, Amy, Krista, Matt, Andrew, Zachary, Lindsay, Meghan and Ryan; and one great-grandchild, Drake.

Her memorial service will be held Saturday February, 18, 11 a.m., at White Hill FWB Church with the Rev. Greg Mills and Rev. Kenneth Gillikin officiating. Following the service there will be a lunch for all in attendance, where the family will receive friends and relatives.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to White Hill FWB Church, PO Box 519, Aurora, NC 27806.