Donna D. Steffen

Donna DeGutis Steffen, 83, of Glastonbury and Hebron, formerly of East Hartford, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 6, 2026. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, she was the beloved daughter of Phyllis Hamilton DeGutis and Stanley Benedict DeGutis.

Donna is survived by her sisters, Denise Jernigan of South Glastonbury and Dorothea DeGutis and her husband Lloyd of Brattleboro, Vermont. She was predeceased by her brother, Stanley H. DeGutis, who passed away in 1949 at the age of three.

She leaves her daughter Joanne Steffen Thomann, Joanne’s fiancé Chad Henninger, and her cherished grandson Christian S. Thomann, all of Hebron. She is also survived by her nephew Matthew Graf and niece Katharine Graf of Brattleboro, VT.

Donna graduated from East Hartford High School in 1961 and the UConn School of Nursing in 1965. She dedicated her life to caring for others, beginning her nursing career at Manchester Memorial Hospital (1965–1968), followed by UConn Health Center–McCook Hospital (1968–1971). She then served the City of Hartford Health Department, Family Planning Division for 27 years (1972–1999), and continued her work at Planned Parenthood of Connecticut until her retirement in 2010. Donna was deeply committed to her patients and carried genuine love for the people she served throughout her career.

Outside of nursing, Donna embraced life with enthusiasm and curiosity. She was an avid reader, a passionate supporter of greyhound adoption, and a lifelong hockey fan. She proudly held season tickets for the Hartford Whalers, was a dedicated Booster Club member, and traveled across the United States and Canada to cheer them on. She also supported the Springfield Indians/Falcons, and followed the Chicago Blackhawks, Las Vegas Golden Knights, NASCAR, and UConn Basketball with equal devotion.

Funeral service celebrating Donna’s life will be Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11 am at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford. Burial will follow at Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery, (Section M), Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, Donna asked that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopoeh.com