Donna Jean (Southern) Reznicek

SANTA FE – Donna Jean Southern Reznicek, born December 31, 1949, passed away April 13, 2024, surrounded by family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Donald Oliver, and Lola Mae, Southern. She was raised in La Marque, Texas, with the family of her life-long friend, Gay Mora Lane. Her youth was spent as a high school cheerleader, while accompanied by her beloved terrier, Trixie. She would graduate from the University of Houston with a degree in History, which was a subject that she loved with passion for the entirety of her life. Later during her career, she would return to school, achieving a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She met her one, and only, surviving husband, Ray Reznicek; with whom she had two children, Lisa and Donald, (married to Callie.) She was stepmother to Keith and Michelle; grandmother to Keith Jr.

Her career was spent educating the youth of Texas in the study of history. Her career would see her educate students in Galveston, Dickinson, Alvin, and, finally, the place she had made a family home: Santa Fe, Texas. It was at Santa Fe High School that she would become city renowned as a no-nonsense, creative, and resourceful instructor, greatly impacting those whom she taught. During her time in Santa Fe, she became a coach for the school's Academic Octathlon and Decathlon teams through multiple award-winning seasons.

Upon leaving the profession, she still found part-time employment to occupy free gaps between games of her beloved Houston Astros. These efforts included long-term substitute work at the school she retired from, as well as tutoring African exchange students in English at College of the Mainland. It was that job which would lead to her creating an integrated lesson plan for the college’s machinist education program.

Her final period of “employment” was through volunteer work at The Galveston County Historical Museum and The Bryan Museum. It was here that she completed a researched historic paper/passion project that studied the history and design philosophy of the creator of The Bryan Museum’s building. The history of this place held significance to her for two important reasons: its deep, illustrative, and impressive collection of Texas artifacts and the fact that it was originally the Protestant orphans’ home in Galveston, Texas.

Donna was adopted at birth and grew up in a loving household and even if not of a natural birth. Her parents doted upon her every need, and she attended both, personally, in their own passings. But, that knowledge of being adopted would give her a natural soft spot for the downtrodden and misfits that she always held in her heart.

She was a lifelong supporter of human and civil rights, as well as education. Even in retirement, she would always find ways to learn and teach new history lessons. She was 74 when she passed and will be cremated at her wishes. Donna is survived by her husband, Ray, her two children and family.

The family invites you to the memorial service held at Hayes Funeral Home Friday, April 19, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., with a celebration potluck luncheon at the La Marque VFW Hall Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Donations requested in leu of flowers to the American Heart Association and the American Civil Liberties Union.

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