Donnie Taylor Rowell, 70, of Portsmouth, VA passed away on September 26, 2012. A native of Willard, NC 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 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, October 2, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Parr Funeral Home and Crematory with 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