Donna Dorothea Saunders 1935 - 2025

Donna Dorothea Saunders (née Dodds)

Donna Dorothea Saunders (née Dodds) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 4, 1935, to Peter John Dodds and Cora Martha Hotham. Donna’s father moved the family to Toronto, Ontario, however, as he thought it more appropriate for a woman to grow up “in the east” than on the prairie. Nevertheless, Donna spent summers with her cousins in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and her days there were some of her fondest memories. After school, she attended the Royal Victoria Hospital nursing program, graduating with a RN, Class of 1957. She married David Saunders, MD, an intern who had recently graduated from medical school from McGill University. They went to England for two years on a fellowship, returned to Montreal, and then ultimately landed in Seattle, where David joined the faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

An only child, Donna's summers among her large circle of relatives profoundly shaped her view of family. Her cousin Edythe, twenty years her senior, named her and remained a steadfast companion throughout her life; Donna referred to her as Aunt Edythe. Her extended family provided pivotal guidance: Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Sam sponsored the nursing education that led to her meeting David, and Aunt Dinah's nursing career served as her inspiration. From her mother and aunts, she inherited a love for cooking and baking—from Cora's celebrated pies to the ritual of tasting farm butter and lemon curd. Her upbringing deeply colored her affection for her own family and friends. Her household was constantly filled with frolicking neighborhood children who were always welcomed to dinner.

Her mother, Cora, influenced Donna's celebratory culinary traditions. Beyond her skill as the family's "pie baker," Cora taught Donna the foundations of traditional home cooking—roast beef, crispy potatoes, and gravy—paying attention to ingredient quality. Cora's social world also shaped Donna's life: before her marriage, Cora lived for ten years in Regina with her best friend, "Aunt" Retta McLeod, who remained a fixture in Donna's life. Cora even influenced Donna's professional path by choosing her middle name, Dorothea, after a close friend who was a nurse. Cora renewed her deep prairie roots through summer travels, reconnecting Donna to her maternal heritage.

Donna's father, Peter, was a traveling salesman, often away for months at a time. When home, he supported Donna's enthusiasms, particularly her love for horses (she was “horse crazy” from an early age), frequently taking her to ride at Sunnyside in Toronto. Peter also established a tradition of magical Christmas mornings, staging elaborate gift displays hidden behind curtains—a practice Donna carried forward, recreating that same sense of wonder for her own family.

Soon the family grew to six, with four boys, John, Richard, Michael, and Brian. John was born in England, Richard in Montreal, and Michael and Brian in Seattle. The family had a grand house on an acre of land in Lake Forest Park, with woods and a creek and welcoming neighbors. It was a sylvan paradise in which to grow up.

Donna’s love of animals extended beyond horses. Once settled into their home, she set about surrounding the young family with a motley menagerie: Dogs, ducks, geese, chickens, rabbits, domestic rats, and even a goat (no horses though)! She showed her sons how to care for animals, to see them as unique individuals. She often told the story of watching her young boys marching off into the woods to play, followed by a dutiful procession of two dogs, two geese, and a chicken. The animals always wanted to be part of the fun. She and David would go on to have a total of six dogs. The last, Toby, passed in 2015.

She embraced family, friends, and neighbors. An excellent cook, she prided herself on taking a meal for six (her immediate family) and extending it, as needed, to include eight, ten or sometimes more people. She happily invited any visiting neighborhood kids to stay for supper. Her greatest joy was having a full table. Family friends fondly remember her warm generosity and still refer to her as their “second mom.”

Donna loved to sing and to play guitar, especially in her younger days, inspiring her sons to learn the instrument (though none could sing as well). Her beautiful soprano voice was heard singing songs of Joan Baez, ABBA, and other artists. Over the years, family get-togethers would include singalongs to favorite songs of John Denver, Peter Paul and Mary, and others.

As her kids grew older and more self-sufficient (well, sort of), Donna returned to nursing, first on the staff of a nursing home. She found the work rewarding, but depressing, so she moved to the opposite end of the spectrum, becoming the RN at the Seattle Infant Development Center. She held this position for approximately 15 years, playing a critical role in the formative years of children of Seattle’s prominent people (to include one former city attorney). She delighted in serving as nurse but also as mother, cleaner, and social worker. The staff and clientele of SIDC were heartbroken when she retired.

Donna reveled in family, reading, wine, food, and travel. She and the family returned to England for the years 1972-73, and 1979-80. They were extraordinary years. The family traveled extensively, visiting Yorkshire, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Switzerland, where the boys learned to ski. It was in England that she and David encountered the comedic delights of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Monty Python would cast a long shadow over the family’s sense of humor. In her later years, Donna traveled with family to southern California, Canada, and Mexico, returned with family to Italy, and traveled to France. While she was at home on the Continent, in Canada, and in the United States, her heart was ultimately with her family, and centered on her nine grandchildren, whom she cared for often.

Beyond her dedication to cooking and baking, Donna pursued a variety of interests, particularly gardening and reading. As the boys grew older, her interest in gardening expanded, and she cultivated a more lush and expansive garden, reflecting her love of peace and tranquility. Her view, that the world could be made a more caring, peaceful place, was a value she impressed upon her children. Donna also enjoyed crosswords and worked to improve her writing skills. Later in life she loved her Italian language classes and the idea of returning to Italy. She valued her connections at the University Women's Club, where she hosted her grandchildren for Christmas and Easter brunches.

The grandchildren (Meghan, Jane, Kyle, Evan, Nick, Alex, Bella, Emma, and Jack) treasure their memories of Nonna Donna helping them play dress-up, baking them savory treats, and taking them shopping and out for special meals. Donna’s grandchildren gave her incredible delight. She loved caring for them (which came naturally and easy for her), reading to them, cooking for them, and taking them out on the town. Donna was ecstatic with the arrival of her great-grandchildren, Ace and Ivy.

Donna greatest joy was her family. She leaves behind four sons, three daughters-in-law (Polly, Kammie, and Ellyn), nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren (Ace, Ivy, and Jude). All will remember Donna as an unfailingly generous woman of a gentle, abiding faith, a woman who embraced the world, and sought the good in everyone (well, almost everyone), while trying to make the world a gentler place. She was ever a force for good, and she had a profoundly humane impact on many. With her departure, on December 23, 2025, as Samuel Johnson wrote, “the continuity of being is lacerated… life stands suspended and motionless.” But not for long; Donna was thrilled to learn last Summer that Meghan, her eldest granddaughter was pregnant, giving birth to Jude just this month. The cycle moves ever onward.