Donna Hutcheson
FRISCO, Texas — Donna Crabtree Hutcheson Ph.D., passed away on June 8, 2019. She was born on Jan. 1, 1948, to Lora Belle (Durham) Mitchell and Hulen Crabtree in Chattanooga, Tenn. On Feb. 17, 1979. Donna married Gregory Vaughn Cole in Garland, Texas.
Donna is survived by her husband, Greg Cole; sister, Treva Mitchell Parker and husband, Tony;
niece, Cassy Parker; nephew, Eric Parker; niece Holly Mitchell Gothard; forever friend, Dr. Pati
Milligan; three aunts, Lenora Yarbrough, Brenda Dean, and Ula Mae Hardeman, and uncle Enos Durham; brother-in-law Parker Cole; sister-in-law Ronda Cole Stewart and husband Paul.
Donna was preceded in death by her mother, Lora Belle Mitchell; step-father, Roland Mitchell; sister, Debbie Mitchell.
A memorial service will be held at Watermere Senior Living in the ballroom, 4220 Cotton Gin Road, Frisco, Texas 75034, on Saturday, July 20, 2019, at 1 p.m. Inurnment will be held at DFW National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, 75211 at 11 a.m. on July 19, 2019.
Donna graduated Valedictorian of her Rossville, Georgia High School class of 1965. Donna graduated from the University of Georgia in 1969 with a B. S. degree in mathematics. She began
teaching mathematics in Rossville. She felt that she made a difference in her student’s lives
especially while teaching math at racially segregated Luci Baines Johnson High School in
Augusta, Ga.
Donna moved to Commerce, Texas to pursue her M. S. in Computer Science at East Texas State
University now Texas A&M - Commerce. She was a graduate teaching assistant while getting her degree was then hired as a Computer Science instructor.
At ETSU she was member and President of Phi Delta Kappa, international organization of
educational professionals, Charter member of Epsilon Delta Pi Computer Science honor society,
faculty sponsor for student chapter of ACM, computer science professional society, and faculty sponsor of AFROTC.
Donna had a tremendous career in Dallas as an executive for Atlantic Richfield Co., ARCO
International, TXU, Energy Future Holding then she consulted Executives and Board of Directors with her own company XR Group and Shamrock Enterprises. During this time she
served on the board for ISACA International, member of Project Management Institute, made
multiple speaking engagements at conferences around the world, published many white papers on IT Auditing and Information Management.
Donna received her Ph.D. in Technology Management from UCLA in 1991. She began at
ARCO in training and continued teaching her entire career, she taught as Adjunct Professor for
Texas A&M Commerce, SMU, UT Dallas, University of North Texas and she also taught for ISACA and other universities as a volunteer.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to TAMUC Foundation, PO Box 3425, Commerce, TX 75429, Memo line “ Hutcheson-Cole Computer Science Excellence Fund”.
To convey condolences or to read the full obituary, please visit www.tjmfuneral.com
Published June 23, 2019