Donna Mary Cormier was born to her parents, Lionel and Ann at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. Her father was a bomber pilot flying missions over Germany at the time, so Donna spent her early years living at the Maher family house on Summer street, with her mother, grandmother Mummy, and aunts, Big Peg and Meem. As an Air Force brat, she moved all over during her school-aged years, including Missouri, Alabama, and Johnston Island in Polynesia.
After college, Donna joined the Navy, serving as a cryptographer. She met her husband, Thomas, while at Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, and they were married for 43 years, living in California, Virginia, New Jersey, and Naples, Italy, finally settling in San Jose, California.
Donna was a lifelong learner. After her kids were in school, she became a middle school math and science teacher and worked for many years in the Alum Rock School District. In retirement, she enjoyed taking classes for seniors and traveling, learning about different countries and their ecosystems. She visited six continents and various destinations including the Galapagos Islands, Tanzania, and New Zealand.
Family was everything to Donna. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Stephenson. She is survived by her stepdaughter, Sherry King, daughters, Ann Volk and Mary Stephenson Su, and son, Thomas Stephenson. She leaves behind eleven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Donna will be missed by her brothers Lee and Mike Cormier and her sister, Peggy Mun.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or St. Vincent de Paul Society of Santa Clara in Donna’s memory.
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