Donna Sue Argo, age 77, of Shelby, passed away peacefully Saturday, July 11, 2026, at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus with her family at her side. Her death follows a brief illness.
Born February 1, 1949 in Willard, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Gladys (Blankenship) Frisby. Donna graduated from Plymouth High School in 1967 and later attended the Mansfield Business College where she earned an associate’s degree in accounting. On July 15, 1967, Donna married Rexford “Rex” Argo and together they celebrated nearly 59 years of marriage.
After working for some time at Warren Rupp, Donna proudly owned and operated Bases Loaded in Shelby. Since 1988, the store has been a welcoming place where Donna shared her love of sporting and non-sporting cards, memorabilia, and homemade gifts while enjoying conversations and lasting friendships with her customers. She also worked as the business manager for Rex’s business, Argo’s Tree Service. She enjoyed quilting and creating beautiful handmade items. Each Christmas, she quilted gifts for her family and made items such as potholders, ornaments, and other handmade treasures to sell at her store. She enjoyed her time at Snap Fitness where she made many friends. Above all, Donna’s life passion was her family. Whether she was baking Christmas cookies or cooking her Sunday dinners, she made sure all knew they were welcome to her home.
Donna is survived by her husband, Rex; daughters: Amy Schroeder of Mansfield, Tina Garn of Middletown, Teri Argo of Mansfield, Amber (Tom) Reed of Shelby, and Misty Argo (Jason Kiley) of Galena; grandchildren: Brandon Grimmer, Zachary Schroeder, Gage Schroeder, Scottie Brown, Alex Reinersman, Justin Bigelow, Jordan Bigelow, Jenna Bigelow, Evan Reed, Ella Reed, Emma Kiser, Peyton Kiley, and Lincoln Kiley; great grandchildren: Lilliana, Gladys, Terrence, Romeo, Owen, Hazel, and Liam; sister: Wanda Frisby; special aunt: Gayola Gillum; her dog: Ryder; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents, Donna was preceded in death by her sister, RuthAnn Russell.
Family and friends are welcome on Thursday, July 16, 2026 from 4-7 pm at the Penwell Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby also one hour prior to the funeral service which will be held on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 11am. Burial will immediately follow in Oakland Cemetery. Donna’s cousin, David Gillum, will officiate the services.
Care for Donna and her family is being provided by Penwell Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby. Condolences may be left on their website at penwellfuneralhome.com or on their Facebook page.
Our condolences for your immense loss. We got to know Donna quite well over the years, frequenting her shop regularly. She was always so kind, she remembered us and always had a poster, promotional merch, or stickers to give to our little boy. A quick trip in always turned into lengthy chats about life, how she’s been, the family, and what’s been going on around town. She truly had a big heart and was always willing to help out someone in need. One year for the Christmas parade it started snowing pretty heavily, she let us sit on the stoop with her, gave us an extra blanket to stay warm, and made sure our little one was covered from the cold. Our thoughts prayers are with you all during this hard time. She will be incredibly missed!
I am so sorry to hear this. It was such an honor to have met and care for Ms. Donna. She was so proud of the family she had created and she loved telling everyone so! She was truly a blessing and joy to be around, always making sure to crack a few jokes even in rough times. My thoughts and prayers are with her whole family.
Very sorry for the loss of your Mom Teri! May you rejoice in her new body in Heaven! May she watch over your family with as much Love as she did here on this earth. ❤️