Donna Wynell Dupy Swaffar

Donna Wynell Dupy Swaffar, age 83, of Tulsa, Oklahoma passed away Sunday, April 26, 2026. Donna was born in Potter County, Texas, north of Amarillo, on September 13, 1942, to Wilson and Tommie (Aldriedge) Dupy. She was a 1960 graduate of Tulsa Edison High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Tulsa in 1964. She was married to and divorced from Michael George Swaffar; together they had a son, Stephen Michael Swaffar. She would later go on to earn a master’s degree in music education from the University of Kentucky.

Donna was a gifted and creative artist. She had an operatic voice and performed in musicals and musical theatre as a young woman and mother. She gave piano lessons to many students during her early teaching career and later wrote lyrics and music for her own songs. Donna started as a grade school music teacher in Durham and Sterling, Kansas and was the lead music teacher at the Lexington School in Lexington, Kentucky while she earned her master's degree. Donna started her career in Tulsa working for Judge Allen Barrow in the District Court of Tulsa but soon found creative work with the Jim Halsey Agency and then the Tulsa Opera. Donna spent most of career and gave her passion to the Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, serving in public relations and marketing executive positions throughout the system.

Those who know Donna, know her love of cats. Many felines luxuriated in her home over the years. There would be no better place in Tulsa or perhaps anywhere for a cat than the home of Donna Swaffar. Second only to her cats were her roses. Donna loved flower gardening, making flower arrangements, and entertaining guests in her home and gardens.

She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her son, Stephen Michael Swaffar (Donna) of Winfield, KS; two grandsons, Tyler Swaffar of Topeka, KS and Nathan Swaffar of Topeka, KS; her brother, Fred Dupy (Leslie) of Springfield, MO; two nephews, Joshua Dupy (Katie) and Clayton Dupy (Jenny) of Springfield, MO. She also leaves behind her cats Hannah and Oscar.

A private burial will be held in Billings, OK.