Donna Jo Blackwood, 74, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, passed away May 9, 2026 in Springdale,
AR. She was born on August 9, 1951, in Poteau, Oklahoma, to James and Reba Gene
(Burrow) Connelly.
Donna was a member of Cross Church in Springdale and was also a founding member of
Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas. She graduated from Hope High
School and attended both State College of Arkansas and Ouachita Baptist University. While
at Ouachita, she was involved with the Ouachi-Tones and was a proud member of the EEE
Social Club.
Donna deeply cared for helping others and always kept her faith at the center of her life. She
was kind hearted, and people were naturally drawn to her gentle spirit. Music was one of
Donna’s greatest passions and led to her being crowned Miss Arkansas in 1970–71, and
earning a Top 10 finish at the Miss America Pageant. She later traveled to Vietnam on the
Miss America USO Tour, where she used her gift of music to encourage and entertain the
troops.
Her hobbies included family camping trips, traveling, fly fishing, hiking, and gardening. She
especially loved spending time outdoors and making memories with her family. They shared
many adventures together, especially with her grandson, Colt, who brought her tremendous
joy.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Mel Blackwood; son, Clint Blackwood of
Fayetteville; daughter, Mandy (Kirk) Starr of Bentonville; sisters, Debbie Allison of Conway;
and Kim (Mike) North of Searcy; brother, Ed (Cissy) Connelly of Beaufort, SC;
grandchildren, Nicholas, Matthew, Jacob, and Colt Starr; nieces, Kalyn (Tim) Bumbaugh and
Kara (Rob) Bell; and nephews, Jim (Amanda) Connelly, Christian (Brooke) Connelly, Ayden
North, and Landon North.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Reba Connelly; brother-in-law, Walter
Allison; and nephew, Kyle Allison.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Cross
Church in Fayetteville, with a Celebration of Life beginning at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor
Jonathan Beasley officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the The Broyles Foundation for
Alzheimer’s Caregivers, 213 W. Monroe Ave., Suite O, Lowell, AR 72745, or online at
To leave a tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are by Nelson-
Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville.
