Donna was born on August 12, 1940 in Binghamton, NY to the late Raymond and Julia Stanton. A graduate of Binghamton North High, she moved to Raleigh with her husband Tom, an IBMer, and four young children in 1965. After her children started school, Donna returned to school herself, graduating with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Primary Education. She spent the next 27 years teaching at Root Elementary in Raleigh, where she loved and was loved by generations of children. Children were Donna’s passion, and teaching was her calling. Her greatest joys in life were her family and, in particular, her grandchildren, all of whom loved her dearly.
Donna was predeceased by her husband Thomas Keane Dow and her sister Sally Fiori. She is survived by her children Christine Rothemich (Michael), Patrick Dow, Colleen Dow (Bill), and Beth Shannon (Tim); her grandchildren, Sean Burrus (Olivia), Aaron Rothemich Casey (Anna), Christopher Shannon, Kiley Shannon, and Ryan Shannon; her great-grandaughter Eleanor Burrus; her brothers Ray (Nikki) and Ron (Carolyn); and many nieces and nephews, special cousins, and dear friends.
In accordance with Donna’s wishes and pandemic protocols, a private funeral mass will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, February 25, 2021 at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Raleigh. The service will be live-streamed at: https://www.saintraphael.org/donna-dow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Note in the Pocket or Read and Feed, two organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of school children, or to the charity of your choice.
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