A soft laugh, a gentle joke, a smooth little dance step. That's what Ina Jo gave, even on the last day she was with us.

Hannah and I were blessed to be with Ina Jo when she passed. And even more to have her in our lives. There was not a day that Ina Jo didn't make me laugh at least five times.

So many of you have written -- and we would love to have you share your personal remembrances of her right here.

Here's the general news release that was sent out;

Long-time Sarasota resident Ina Jo Donovan, an award-winning actress/singer/dancer, who most recently starred in the musical comedy NUNSENSE at the LVH Hotel in Las Vegas, has passed away in her Las Vegas home.

Donovan appeared as Sister Amnesia in NUNSENSE for almost two years, when illness forced her to curtail her performance schedule.

A New York City native, she appeared in more than 30 plays and musicals in regional theaters throughout the United States. She was a favorite nightclub performer in the showrooms and lounges of the famous resorts of upstate New York.

Donovan won the SAMMY award for BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL from the Sarasota and Manatee Critics' Association for her role as Velma Kelly in CHICAGO.

Among Ina Jo's personal favorite roles were Aldonza in MAN OF LA MANCHA, Annie Sullivan in THE MIRACLE WORKER, Anita in WEST SIDE STORY and, of course, her AWARD WINNING ROLE as Velma in CHICAGO.

A graduate of Western Illinois University with a degree in Fine Arts, Ina Jo's talents were not limited to performance theater. Her other interests included the practice of law. She worked as a paralegal in Sarasota and in Las Vegas.

Ina Jo is survived by her sisters, Hannah and Lisa, and by her brother Thom Donovan of New Port Richie.

To view her web site that she created, click here

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