Donna Lee (Colby) Keough, 78, of Barre, Vermont, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026, in Berlin.

Born in Barre on June 26, 1947, Donna was the beloved daughter of Lodema (née Austin) Utton and Ernest Colby, and the stepdaughter of Lancer Utton, who played an instrumental role in raising her from a young age.

In her youth, Donna was a strong swimmer ("a little fish") and a skilled roller and ice skater. She spent her early childhood in South Barre before her family moved to Montpelier, where she attended school and later married John J. Audy, Sr., on December 15, 1962. The couple welcomed five sons, and Donna, a homemaker, carried most of the responsibility for their upbringing.

Donna married Harold M. Keough on May 22, 1999, in Montpelier. They remained lovingly devoted to each other until his death in 2015.

Some of Donna's most treasured memories were formed during childhood summers at Woodbury Lake and Mallets Bay with her family and their beloved dog, Baby. The family "camp" on Worcester Mountain held a special place in her heart. It was there she learned cribbage from her stepfather, Lancer, and created many lasting memories as a child and later with her sons.

Donna found happiness in life's simple pleasures-dancing, listening to Elvis, and realizing a lifelong dream with a visit to Graceland in 2024. She enjoyed watching NASCAR and took pleasure in collecting holiday decorations, Native American treasures, and Harley-Davidson keepsakes. She had a fondness for jewelry-especially turquoise-and her love of butterflies beautifully reflected the gentleness and hope she saw in life.

Donna was a uniquely prolific gardener, growing an abundance of vegetables in large pots on her deck rather than in a traditional garden, and taking particular pride in her "big, beautiful tomatoes." She also loved houseplants, tending to them with loving care-even pruning those belonging to her sons and their families when she visited.

In her later years, Donna became known for arriving at family weekends together with one small overnight bag, overshadowed by arms full of grocery bags brimming with cakes, cookies, pies, chips, and candy. She often brought more than anyone could possibly consume-much to the delight of her grandchildren-and left the leftovers behind as a quiet sign of her love. She also loved family barbeques-especially steak, home fries, and corn on the cob. When these were being served, it signaled that Donna would be there for dinner.

One of Donna's biggest life adventures-and one of the few times she traveled outside New England-was a trip to Colombia, where her former daughter-in-law, Ana, was born and raised. She talked about that experience for the rest of her life.

Donna is survived by four sons: Mark and his wife, Kathleen Kenworthy, Paul, Timothy and John Audy Jr. and his wife, Kathy, all of Vermont. She was a proud and devoted grandmother to Joshua, Ashley, Erica and Emmaline Audy; Jessica (Justin) Lapan and Makayla Audy; Madison, Collin and Ethan Audy; and Grace (Alex) Gabaree, and by her great-grandchildren, Kylie, Westyn, Layla and Ella.

She is also survived by her sister Barbara (Jeffrey) Hartman of Alabama; her stepsister Judy (Harry) Columbo of Vermont; her sister-in-law, Gloria Colby of Vermont; her dear nephew and niece, Shawn Davis of Maryland and Sharon Davis and her husband, Michael Burke, of Vermont, with whom she shared a special bond; her beloved friend and neighbor, Roxy Smith; along with other nieces and nephews and her stepsiblings' families.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Harold M. Keough; her son, David Audy; her parents; her stepfather; her brother, Ernest "Ernie" W. Colby; her stepbrother, Robert "Bobby" Utton; her daughter-in-law, Elaine Soucie; and her former daughter-in-law, Ana Cerquera Calderon Audy.

Donna will be remembered for her quiet strength, her remarkable resilience through adversity, and the deep love she had for her boys and their families.

A graveside service with inurnment will be held on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at Worcester Village Cemetery, followed by a Celebration of Life at the East Barre VFW Post 790.