Donna Jean Goldstein

She was comfortable and surrounded by her family, including “Team 5”, as she called her immediate family: Todd, her husband of 36 years, and her daughters, Sydney, Madison, and Abigail.

The life of Donna Jean Goldstein is an endless well of light, warmth, kindness, love, humor, authenticity, and lifelong learning.

Donna was born in Providence, RI to Jeanne (Dunford) DeSimone on August 22, 1962. She grew up on Parkway Drive in Warwick, RI with her sister Cathleen and brother Peter.

Donna graduated from Salve Regina University in 1984 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She was the first person in her family to go to college and everyone was so proud of her. She met Todd, who was at URI, in her senior year at school while visiting Narragansett. They dated, danced, traveled, fell in love, and married in 1989.

Donna and Todd settled in Attleboro, and built a home full of fun, love, kindness, sharing, forgiveness, and even invented their own familect or unique family language. Donna – aka Mama, Mickey, DJ, or any one of the million nicknames - had the job of raising her three girls full-time for over 15 years. She then felt a calling to teach, obtained her Master’s in Education, and taught in the classroom for the Attleboro Public School district.

She pursued her passion for reading and literacy to the district and state-wide levels and was currently serving at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Donna was a marathoner, yogi, walker, reader, beach-goer, do-gooder, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, mentor, neighbor, pet lover, and friend. Everyone was lucky to have come across her. Her presence graced all.

Family, friends, and members of the community are welcome to attend her funeral service on Friday, March 28 at 10:00 AM at Congregation Agudas Achim, 901 N Main St, Attleboro, MA. Wearing lively colors and florals, particularly yellow, is encouraged.

A private burial will follow at Chandler Gray Cemetery, West Yarmouth, close to their Cape house, “Lucky Stars,” where they all had magical times walking the beaches, collecting shells, being together, and going for ice cream.

In remembrance of Donna’s life and in lieu of flowers, her family would appreciate donations to the Friends of Attleboro Public Library, PBS, NPR, or that you go out for an ice cream and don’t forget the sprinkles.