Donna Lowell

Surrounded by family, Donna Irene Lowell, a lifelong resident of Hopkinton, died Jan. 23, 2025, at the age of 81.

Donna was married to the love of her life, Charles Francis Lowell, for 53 years prior to his passing in 2019. Donna was a nurturer at heart, evidenced by her 52-year nursing career and her undying dedication to her family and her dogs Fella, Little Fella and Calli.

Donna and Char, as she affectionately called her husband and best friend, were avid travelers. They spent vacations in Aruba and weekends exploring the Cape, New Hampshire and Maine. Donna’s love of travel began in childhood when she spent time on her grandparents’ farm (Grammy and Grampy Wright) and visited relatives in Nova Scotia. They also shared a love of antique collecting, taking a special interest in finding handmade Shaker items, which connected them to their ancestors from the Enfield and Canterbury Shaker Villages in New Hampshire.

A graduate of Hopkinton High School and the Framingham Union Hospital School of Nursing, Donna was a highly respected operating room nurse and nurse manager at Framingham Union Hospital. Her career continued at Leonard Morse Hospital, where she was a beloved nurse manager and coordinator.

Because Donna always was looking for more ways to help others, she traveled to Ecuador to help perform surgeries for those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to needed care. Throughout her life, Donna’s kindness and comforting hand always was outstretched to others.

Donna had many hobbies, including cooking, baking (especially with her granddaughters), listening to music, dancing, reading, weaving Nantucket baskets, needlepoint, quilting and crafting. She embraced the opportunity to share a cup of tea and jumped at the opportunity to bring a smile to others, especially children. Spending time with her husband, family and friends brought her the most joy.

Born in Framingham, Donna was preceded in death by her mother, Edna Ruth (Graham) Titus, her stepfather, Irving Hadley Titus, and her beloved son, Charles Edward Lowell, who passed away in 1987. She also is predeceased by her brother, Douglas Wright.

Donna is survived by her daughter, Donna Marie Lowell-Bettencourt (Troy) of Edgartown; brother, Donald Wright (Marilyn) of Citrus Heights, California; sister, Debbie Peddle of Bellingham; sister, Darlene Montville of Hopkinton; and five grandchildren, Holly White (Will) of Millis; Alex Bettencourt, Luke Bettencourt, Charlotte Delasin (Zachary) and Jovanna Lowell-Bettencourt, all of Edgartown. Donna also leaves six great-grandchildren, Charlie, Juliet and Maddie White, Charlie Bettencourt, and Lowell and Juniper Delasin, as well as many very special nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Monday, Jan. 27, from 5-7 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe Street. A funeral service will be held at the same location Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children’s Hospital Boston (bostonchildrens.org/giveinmemory), or the American Cancer Society (cancer.org).

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.