Donna Chambers Honored At Town Council Meeting

Town Councilor Bonnie Van Slyke placed the following resolution in honor of Donna Chambers on the April 27 Council meeting agenda, where it was read and approved by all the members. Donna, a long-time Charlestown member of the Chariho School Committee, passed away on March 11, 2026. There are links to more about Donna at the bottom of this post.

TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND
RESOLUTION OF RESPECT
In Honor of Long-Time Charlestown Resident and 
Public Servant Donna Mary Chambers

Donna was born on April 16, 1947, in Providence, Rhode Island. She earned a Bachelor of Education from Rhode Island College and a Master of Education from the University of Rhode Island.

Specializing in proficiency-based teaching and assessment for over 50 years, Donna’s professional accomplishments were wide-ranging and impactful. She began her career serving as a fifth-grade teacher in South Kingstown for 4 years. After moving to Virginia with her husband Michael, whom she was married to for 56 years, she dedicated 25 years to adult education with Fairfax County Public Schools.

In 2001, she and Michael returned to Rhode Island to live in Charlestown, and she continued her commitment to education and community. She was a contracted consultant for adult education with the Rhode Island Department of Education, Boston Public Schools, and the Maine Department of Education. For 12 years, she served as State Coordinator for the Rhode Island National External Diploma Program, a program through which she was directly responsible for many people receiving their high school diplomas.

Donna also volunteered as a member of the RI Adult Education Professional Development Advisory Council and Technology Integration Advisory Council and as president of the National External Diploma Program Council from 2001–2011.

Beyond her formal service, Donna gave generously of herself to her community. Beginning in 2013, Donna represented Charlestown on the Chariho District School Committee, bringing a lifetime of educational expertise to that role. Chariho Superintendent Gina Picard reflected that she “approached every decision with careful thought and a deep sense of responsibility” and that students were always at the center of her thinking. Fellow School Committee member Craig Louzon remembered that “Donna’s heart was in the right place — she was always there for the kids.” Committee member Jess Purcell described Donna as a guiding voice who was “so dedicated to education, so dedicated to students.”

Known for her generous spirit and remarkable ability to make people feel seen and valued, Donna was a friend to all who crossed her path. She championed the protection of Charlestown’s beautiful natural resources, and she advocated for good government, serving on the Charlestown Charter Revision Advisory Committee in 2013.  Through RICAN, she delivered food weekly to homebound residents in the local area, and she worked closely with the Genesis Center in Providence, developing career training programs.

In her personal life, she found joy in travel, reading, knitting, and time with family and friends. She will be deeply missed.

Be it Resolved, by this public Resolution, the Charlestown Town Council respectfully expresses its sadness at the loss of a valued member of our community and hereby recognizes the dedication and service of Donna Mary Chambers to the citizens of Charlestown.

Be it Further Resolved that this Resolution be spread upon the official minutes of this meeting as an expression of the Town’s highest regard for Donna Mary Chambers.

You can learn more about Donna at her CCA candidate profile, a letter Mike wrote about her in 2022, a CCA post in memoriam, and a recent story in the Westerly Sun. There is also now an obituary for Donna where you can leave messages for the family.