Born July 17, 1941 in Gloucester, Mass (the best fishing town with the Fisherman’s Memorial) to Helen and Harold Benson. Her siblings consisted of four great brothers and one beautiful sister. Three brothers joined the Army; one went to the Air Force, and Donna joined the Navy in 1959 when she graduated from Saint Ann High School and turned 18.
Donna’s first Duty Station was in San Diego, with its Dairy Farm in Mission Valley, buffalo in Hazard Center, tiny airport on Pacific Highway, and a ferry with free popcorn going across to Coronado. In love with San Diego, she did not want to leave. She was discharged in San Diego. Donna always thought that she grew up in San Diego with that first tour: learning how to dance, drink, drive, and smoke. Of course, smoking didn’t last very long. She started working for the Federal Civil Service, playing basketball and softball, and running 5K and 10K races.
She really missed her Navy, so she joined the Naval Reserve in August 1970 and retired in 2001 from Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center (NMCRC) San Diego. While NTC (Naval Training Center) was still San Diego’s Boot Camp, she assisted and then coached the NTC Women’s Softball Team until the base closed.
She was the first female assigned to San Diego’s Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit. Also, after making Senior Chief, Donna was the only female student at the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island.
In August 1999, while camping in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta,Canada, seizures got her an air ambulance trip from Calgary to San Diego, resulting in surgery to remove a meningioma (benign brain tumor) as well as time spent in physical and cognitive therapy.
In September 2000, her #1 challenge was to get back on her bike so she could ride in her first Bike MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Bay to Bay bike ride. 2020 would have been her 20th Ride.
After almost a year away from her civilian job because of her brain injury, Donna went back to her job to see how much she could improve, but after dealing with the brain injury , she knew it was time to retire. It was time to love life more.
In September 2001, surgery for Colon Cancer and chemotherapy treatments put another year on hold.
Meeting another woman at Sharp Healthcare’s Community Re-Entry Program is what got her started playing Senior Women’s Basketball at the YMCA on Sunday afternoons. Since Wendy O’Donnell would never be able to play basketball – a game she dearly loved – she made Donna promise to play for her, even though Donna had to deal with some serious balance problems at first. Donna played in senior women’s basketball games and went to Senior Nationals in St. Louis, Stanford, Houston, Minneapolis, and Birmingham.
Then, because of having cancer, Donna met a beautiful, awesome, and inspirational group of women survivors with San Diego Team Survivor Sea Dragons – a dragon boat crew, who love paddling around Fiesta Island, our beautiful Mission Bay. “Dragon Boat races are exciting and competitive – our coach and “Driver” makes us want to paddle – she’s an awesome and much loved leader for so many people.”
Because of her brain injury, Donna became involved with the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, which soon became another part of Donna’s family, giving her the tools and patience to start doing things on her own.
Without her brain injury and cancer, Donna would not have become involved with the wonderful SDBI Foundation, so many beautiful bike rides for MS, or the awe inspiring group of women cancer survivors.
Because of her brain injury, as time went on, Donna decided to go back to school to complete her AA degree. Before the brain injury, she always felt that she had “more brains than brawn”. Who knew that, post-brain injury, she would have “more brawn than brains” because of the basketball, bike riding, paddling, and softball.
Going through San Diego’s Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program at Mesa College’s Continuing Education program for special classes, Donna finally started classes through their Disabled Student Program Services in 2016. She graduated with an AA degree in History and received a Certificate of Performance in Women’s Studies. Why? It was another challenge.
Donna passed away on May 16, 2020 just before ships bells chimed 0800. Team Survivor Dragon Boat crew-mate, Kelly, was by her side. She visualized Donna through a fast bike ride down the coast, then had Donna board the boat and take some bow jumps before sunrise. Kelly also promoted Donna to a Four-Star Admiral before her last breath.
“It definitely has been a fun-filled life! Because of a brain injury, Wendy getting me involved with basketball, meeting so many people with MS because of my brain injury, and cancer getting me involved with Team Survivor.” Donna M. Benson
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, and her brothers Donald and Richard Benson. Donna is survived by her sister Barbara Catalini of Gloucester, MA, her brother Warren Benson (partner Rudy) of Boston, MA, brother Clifford Benson (Cathy) of Fairfield, CA, and Wallis Benson (sister-in-law) of Sacramento, CA and numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and too many friends to count.
Donna’s family would like to sincerely thank those who took loving care and support Donna received.
Donna wrote the majority of her obituary.
Due to the COVID-19 Virus, Donna’s Memorial Service will be held at a future date.
Please contact either Ellen at [email protected] or Nancy at [email protected] in order for us to make contact when Memorial Services are planned.
You can donate to the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, the National MS Society, or our own local Team Survivor San Diego Sea Dragons.
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