Donna Marie MacLennan-Salter

On Tuesday March 26th, wrapped in the love of her family, Donna left this world behind with few regrets except to be leaving her family far too soon. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. Born in Halifax in 1954 she was the apple of her parents’ eye. Smart, beautiful, funny, a super-reader and such a good friend and listener to all, she is already sorely missed by everyone who loved her. Donna made friends everywhere including with people who remained strangers to her. She met people on her dog walks, at the photo printing counter, at the grocery store, everywhere she went. She loved to hear their stories and to re-tell them with great detail. She had many favourite quotes and mottos including “have book - will travel!” Donna grew up in Halifax, graduating from Halifax West and was a big part of a great pile of friends including Athena, Kim, Pam, Betty, Mary, Sheila and so many more I know I’ve missed many! They had great fun getting up to all kinds of antics including walking brazenly into the QE High School Principal’s office dressed up as cheerleaders and stealing the football mascot before an upcoming game! After high school Donna attended Mount Saint Vincent University graduating in 1974 with a Medical Secretary Diploma. In 1979 Donna travelled to Scotland to attend the first MacLennan gathering and naming of a clan chief of the MacLennan clan in 600 years. To say she was in her element was an understatement. She lived in a caravan on the property of the family of the Chief in Dores on Loch Ness and Donna made wonderful friends. She worked a few odd jobs in Scotland while she was there having a great time in Inverness and then made her way home to Halifax. Donna and Wayne met when she was working at Eaton’s and then they worked at Esso together. In those early years they made many trips into the States in Wayne’s Spitfire. They were married in 1982 – an event attended by many and enjoyed by all, especially enjoying with love and laughter the evidence of Wayne’s emotion that day. They moved to Cornerbrook Newfoundland in 1982 and came to love the place dearly. While there, both Meghan and Ria were born. They returned home to Halifax and created their second home as a family on Alton Drive. A few years later they were off to NB where Wayne worked for Irving until he retired in the summer of 2015. The girls grew up in Quispamsis and this is where Donna created their 3rd home, this one on Lionel Drive, with a wonderful and much loved garden. She took enormous pride in her self-proclaimed role as ‘Domestic Goddess’. She made lifelong friends in their neighbours and community and especially with Joanne and Jill. Donna was very involved in volunteer activities at the girls’ schools and over the years made many friends including a personal relationship with every deer and bird who came by for an apple or bit of seed. Donna really enjoyed the trips over the years to Mexico and Cuba with Wayne and the girls. Tragically just a few months after Wayne retired, Donna suffered a devastating stroke. In an instant everything changed and she began a very different chapter of her life. The 3 years since her stroke had been so difficult for Donna but also for Wayne, Meghan, Ria, Susan, Donna’s Dad, her friends Jill and Shawn and everyone who loved her. In this time she was still surrounded by love. People worked so hard to give her the best care and opportunities and to support her family. Staff at the SJ Regional Hospital, at the Stan Cassidy Rehab Centre in Fredericton, neighbours from Lionel Dr., Wayne’s colleagues from Irving and the Irving’s themselves who offered any help that they could along the way, Kevin Evans and Brian Doherty who brought joy and music to a grieving family in those first few months to name only a handful. Donna lived in long term care at the Shannex, Quispamsis from 2016 when she was released from hospital until January of this year when she was able to come home to Halifax, to the Shannex Parkland in Clayton Park. She received the most amazing care from everyone in Quispamsis at Embassy Hall – all the staff were so wonderful to Donna. They supported Wayne and all of the family too when we visited. When she arrived in Halifax the staff seemed to immediately understand her – saw her humour and were the subject of her dear affection – she told stories, so many stories – made faces as those stories were told – again making friends along the way. They were just as kind to Donnas’ family. For the 3 ½ years after the stroke, Donna continued to make friends including a fellow resident at the Shannex in Quispamsis, Dot, and to tell her stories. She made people laugh and she was loved. Donna is survived by her husband of 37 years, Wayne, daughters Meghan (Eddie Buckley), Ria (James White), sister Susan Dale, Uncle Gordie and Aunt Bernice, Uncle Jim, cousins Wendy (Rod) MacDonald-March and John MacDonald, brothers-in-law and sister-in-law (Jack (Judy), Glen (Carla), Debbie (Donnie)) plus many many cousins including Mike (Jeanie) Cowie and so many dear friends, Jill and Shawn and so many others, and of course by sweet pup Cu and kitty Marty. Donna was pre-deceased by her parents Bill and Georgie, grandparents Jean MacDonald, Murray and Muriel MacLennan, Auntie Barb MacDonald-Campbell, mother-in-law Audrey and sister-in-law Colleen. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 10th from 4-7pm in Cruikshank's Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor St. The funeral will be held on Saturday, May 11th at 10:30am in St. Matthew's United Church, 1479 Barrington St. with a reception in the church hall to follow. Burial will be a private family event. To leave condolences for the family please visit: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com. Donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of NS or to a charity of choice in Donna’s memory. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” Philo of Alexandria