Gail Lorna (Biagi) DiDonato

 Gail Biagi DiDonato was born on May 25, 1942 to Julio and Lorraine Biagi in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in Little Italy on the South side of Chicago attending Pickard Grammar school and Providence Catholic High school. Growing up Gail has been described as a legendary figure in her Italian family. She was a smart, daring, trailblazing woman who loved a party and was a great dancer. She once won a local American Bandstand dance contest.

Gail attended Mount Mary college in Milwaukee for 1 year until she was involved in an auto accident and sustained a serious head injury. Her physician told her parents that she would never recover from this injury. After she awoke on Christmas Eve and completely recovered from the injury, she met Chuck DiDonato and they were married in November 1963. Over the next 7 years, they had 4 children and moved from Springfield Illinois to Pekin Illinois. The family then moved to Cincinnati Ohio, Cleveland Ohio and Norwich New York. In 1981 they moved to Omaha Nebraska. There Gail returned to school to complete her education and obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the College of St. Mary followed by a masters degree and her PhD in history from the University of Nebraska. During this time, she began her teaching career at Mercy Catholic High School and then at the College of St. Mary, The University of Nebraska Omaha and The University of Nebraska Lincoln. She was an active member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church serving as a lector and teaching CCD. After the death of her husband she was diagnosed with a neurologic disorder that she was told would lead to her becoming completely disabled. She moved to Plano, Texas in 2015, underwent surgery and completely recovered, living independently for many years at The Legacy at Willowbend. She passed away in Plano on August 14, 2024, from complications of a fall and head injury. The family is grateful for the incredible devotion and care for Gail at the Legacy at Willowbend and Legacy Hospice.

She is preceded in death by her parents Julio and Lorraine Biagi, her husband Chuck DiDonato and daughter Jill DiDonato. She is survived by her her brother Richard Biagi (Fredene), her children Lynn Canavan (Bill), Barbara DiDonato and Chuck DiDonato, her 8 grandchildren Matthew Canavan (Alyssa) , Sami Jordan (Matthew), Jenny Canavan , Jessie Canavan , Anthony DiDonato, Robert DiDonato, Tommy DiDonato and Sam DiDonato. She is also survived by her 3 great grandchildren, Clayton, Colt and Channing Canavan and many nieces, nephews and cousins who adored her.

Gail was a great Italian cook and incredible writer. One of her greatest gifts was being able to make her grandchildren laugh, especially with her favorite phrase, “Whoa!”.

 She loved TAB soda (no one understood why), hard pretzels, The University of Nebraska marching band and her Shih Tzu dogs . She enjoyed attending the orchestra and musicals. When driving, she would make 3 right turns instead of making a left. Her favorite hobbies were watching murder mysteries, reading books from her enormous book collection and keeping the QVC shopping network financially viable.

Gail loved gardens with beautiful flowers. She would fill them with cherubs, angels and fairies. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Baylor foundation in her honor to be used for a healing garden at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano where the doctors, nurses and staff took such good care of her for 9 years.

Ways to Give - Donate - Baylor Scott & White - Dallas Foundation (bswhealth.com)

https://dallasfoundation.bswhealth.com/ways-to-give/donate 

BSW Dallas Foundation

Attn: Lynn Bohne

301 N. Washington Ave

Dallas, TX 75246

Memo for check or online : BSWMC Plano Healing Garden