SPARTA - Deanna Mashak (61) made her last ever clandestine exit on December 27, 2023, finding her eternal resting place. Born to Donna and Donald Mashak Sr. of Sparta, WI in 1962, neither parent, nor the small farm town, were prepared for the wit, strength, or tenacity of Deanna, who was sandwiched in between her brothers Donald Jr. (65, Monticello, MN) and David (58, Sparta), both of whom she is survived by.
In 1997, with the support of her brother Donald, Deanna made a silent departure from Sparta with her three daughters, all of whom she is survived by: Lindsay Mashak (39), Allyssa Mashak (34), and Braidyn Mashak (30). This was the beginning of a lifetime of broadening her understanding of others and expanding the ways of thinking that had been impressed upon her. She landed a job at All Wheels Financial as a Collections Manager, where she spent 25 years building connections with truckers. Her gift of gab served her well in this role. She was known for saying “long story short,” which was sure to be followed by a two-hour conversation in which you never did get to hear the end of the original story.
At age 59, Deanna changed career paths and began an arduous process to become the Owner of San Antonio Visiting Angels (SAVA), a franchise dedicated to helping older adults maintain their independence in their homes with the support of caregivers, fondly referred to as Angels. Having spent several years caring for her late fiancé, Scott Regan, Deanna was determined that this was the legacy she wanted to leave. In 2022, she officially left the brutal cold, her arch nemesis, and moved to sunny Texas, where her title as Owner became official. In this journey south, she was also happy to be able to spend more time with her grandson, Quavon Williamson (13). Deanna was incredibly proud to be working alongside her daughter, Lindsay, who has been the Administrator of SAVA since 2015. Deanna brought her middle daughter, Allyssa, in working on various projects like increasing social media presence and employee retention. It was her wish that eventually all three of her daughters would be involved with helping ensure SAVA’s success. She was also overjoyed to have found two bubbly, dedicated office staff, Barbara and Michelle, who continue to help make SAVA a success, as well as her devoted team of Angels. At this time, it is Deanna’s daughters’ goal to honor their mother’s legacy by continuing to operate SAVA.
While Deanna’s professional life was nothing short of impressive, she wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that her greatest achievements in life were her daughters and their accomplishments. From the moment she became a mother, Deanna dedicated her life to her daughters and every decision she made was with them in mind. She often told them, “Nobody cares about you more than you, except for me.” This has been proven to be true time and time again. Her daughters miss their beloved mother, especially her sarcastic humor and infectious cackle.
Although often coming off as a headstrong, stubborn woman; those who were fortunate enough to really know Deanna knew she had a heart of gold. She had high standards for others and was willing to let go of those who didn’t hold the same values. Her integrity and strong sense of self meant a small, but worthy, inner circle, who knew they could always count on Deanna. With a raspy voice and smoker’s cough, her already blunt messaging was sometimes hard for others to hear. However, Deanna always had pure intentions and often followed up with, “I don’t say this to hurt you, I say it because I love you.”
Deanna was preceded in death by her parents, her fiancé, her aunt, Betty Mashak, and one of her best friends/Allyssa’s aunt, Lillian Kelley. While our heart aches here on Earth, we know Deanna is dancing with her mother Donna, whom her heart ached for the past three decades.
Due to Deanna’s networks being spread out across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas, her daughters have decided to forgo an in-person service. Instead, a memorial video will be forthcoming. If you’re interested in having access to the video, please send your information to Allyssa at amashak@visitingangels.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Uncle Cory Scholarships, an organization founded by the family of Deanna’s surviving best friend, Laurie Olson, that is very near and dear to Deanna’s heart: www.ucs4kids.com.
