Lorraine "Effie" (Donovan) Kimp

Lorraine “Effie” Donovan Kimp 1956-2022 Raised on a farm outside of Titusville, PA (known for the first oil well in the world), Effie died of renal and heart failure in her adopted state of Montana. Although her most recent home was in the Big Hole Valley, she also lived in Libby, Missoula, Hamilton, Corvallis and Butte, making friends wherever she went. Her peaceful passing was early Thursday morning April 21st in Missoula with devoted friends and her loving sister by her side. Effie graduated from Titusville High School in 1974 after which she was employed as secretary for the local Chamber of Commerce. Effie was the daughter of Charles J. Donovan, Jr. and Elizabeth (Betty) Reynolds Donovan. Those who are left to miss her every day are sister Loretta (Dan) Dickey, brother Gerald (Debbie) Donovan, sister-in-law Sandy Donovan, as well as numerous nieces and nephews including special niece, April Hollobaugh, all of Pennsylvania. Effie will also be missed more than words can say by her friends in Montana who are too numerous to count. She is predeceased by her parents and brother Joe Donovan. Effie was a small- business owner most of her adult life. From restaurant owner to weight loss and fitness instructor/owner to snowmobile manufacturing and finally to network marketing, Effie created success in everything she did. Aside from her work life, Effie enjoyed the outdoors doing what she and her friends called “burning gas.” Many of her close friends and long-term relationships in her life have been formed through outdoor recreation. Effie was the happiest when back-country snowmobiling, climbing mountains on her sled that most men wouldn’t even try. Running a close second was riding her Softail Deluxe Harley Davidson on the back roads of the USA and Canada. Hiking, camping, fishing the alpine lakes, and dirt-biking the mountains were all passions of Effie’s. Unexpectedly, these passions came to an end when Effie suffered a brain aneurysm rupture in 2009. After being in a coma for almost two weeks and beating all the odds, Effie’s determined spirit kicked into high gear. Teaching herself to do even the most basic functions took a few years, but she did it! To quench her adventurous appetite, she bought a motor home, a three-wheeler Ski Doo Spider (which she crashed and burned in Arizona), and her beloved Polaris Razor. But these activities were not to last, because the next health crisis, kidney failure and dialysis, began a downward spiral. Even though Effie educated herself, lived a perfect renal diet, and found two separate kidney donors, a transplant was not to be. Giving up her home in the beautiful Big Hole Valley to move to Butte for dialysis, Effie’s heart began to fail. Absolutely no one could have tried harder to lead an active, healthy life once again, and few could have managed this final prognosis with as much grace, never losing her spirit and humor. At Effie’s request, a portion of her ashes will be spread from an airplane over her favorite snowmobiling hill. Her remaining ashes will be interred with her mother and brother in Pennsylvania. A May 15th Celebration of Life is planned from 2:30 - 4:30 PM at the Darby Community Clubhouse, 106 N Main St. An informal commemoration will take place at 3:00. The family suggests memorials be made in the name of Effie Kimp to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester, MN. (705 2nd Street SW Rochester, MN 55902 or www.office@gift-of-life.org). Effie and her caregivers stayed in this affordable, supportive housing several times during her trips to Mayo Clinic.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Lorraine "Effie" (Donovan) Kimp, please visit our Tree Store.