McDaniel, Donna L. (Bowen), age 89 of Southborough, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, surrounded by family.
Donna’s early life was focused on education. From her days at St. Catherine Academy in Newport, RI to Tufts University (class of 1956), to studying for a Masters in Education in Guidance and Counseling from Boston University, she took those learnings with her to Japan and Germany where she worked as a teacher and guidance counselor for the US Department of Defense Schools. It was during those years that she discovered her love of travel, adventuring all over Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Coming back to the US, she began her career as a journalist, writer and editor, primarily at the Middlesex News, with many contributions to the Villager of Southborough, the town in which she lived for nearly 50 years, and for which she was the first female Select-person, elected in 1978.
Music was a very important part of her life, and she was blessed to have been a member of both the Boston Community Choir and Sharing a New Song; a group dedicated to bringing people of different cultures together via song. This brought continued travel, with visits to Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Cuba, and Africa.
As a Quaker for the last 35+ years of her life, she brought her curious intellect and skill in research together as the co-author of the book Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship: Quakers, African Americans, and the Myth of Racial Justice.
She is survived by her sons David Bowen McDaniel of Denver, Colorado and Evan Paul McDaniel and his wife Jessica Haynes McDaniel of Milton.
Donna was the proud grandmother of Kyle, Katelyn, Chase, Emerson, Annie, Sadie, and the late Connor.
Memorial service will be held Saturday, August 3rd at the Framingham Friends Meeting, 841 Edmands Rd., Framingham, MA at 10:00 am. Inurnment will be private. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Donna may be made to The Friends General Conference, 1216 Arch St., 2B, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ~ www.fgcquaker.org
(Photo and Obituary via Dolan Funeral Home)
I’m so sorry to hear of Donna McDaniel’s passing.
Back when I started running this blog, Donna was still a regular contributor to the Southborough Villager/Wicked Local, sharing her interesting historical perspective on happenings in town. You can read one of her great examples here, where she wrote about the evolution of our town from a rural community to a suburb.
It was a shame when Metrowest Daily News cut the column (and a bad sign for where things were headed in their media coverage of our town.)
In 2013, McDaniel was honored as an “Unsung Heroine”. You can read about that here.
I am so sorry to hear about Donna’s passing also. I had been wondering about her given she has not been at the last few Town Meetings.
In addition to everything already including in her obituary and Beth’s comments Donna was also very active in Town government including as a member of the Select Board. She always had very constructive comments and ideas at Town Meeting. I used to call her for her perspective on certain issues when I was a member of Advisory. She was a true delight to talk to.
I picked her up for Town Meeting a few times because she lived close to me. At one TM I saw her stand up and look directly at me. I then realized what I had done which was to have forgotten to pick her up that time. Somehow she still got there and of course I was mortified when I realized what I had done. But she forgave me. Rest in peace Donna.
Adding my voice to the chorus of those saddened to read of Donna’s passing. She was truly “one of a kind.” We met through our shared interest in town government, found a connection (Tufts University) and crossed paths frequently over the years. I appreciated her knowledge, wisdom and experience. Her questions for the candidates at “Candidates Night at the Library” were informed by her experience and historical perspective, and of great value to the rest of us. May her memory be a blessing to her family. She certainly was a blessing to those of us in town who knew her and all who benefitted from her wisdom.
Donna was a fine person, a unique person, a smart and capable person, and a kind person. I’m glad to have known her a little, and I’ll miss her.