Donna May Chudy passed away peacefully at home May 9. Born June 9, 1949, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Sandusky, to Sarah (Sadie) and George E. (Blackie) Lentz, Donna graduated from Sandusky High School, attended BGSU and graduated with her Bachelor’s in Education from The Ohio State University. She went on to pursue her Master’s in Education from Bowling Green State University later in her career.

Growing up in Sandusky with sister and bestie Debbie Parker, Donna always had a special love for her hometown. A 1967 Blue Streak, she performed with the Sandusky Keynotes, worked at Chicken Patio at Cedar Point and the phone company, and enjoyed hanging out with her friends at the beach.

She married John and raised their children, Jennifer Chudy Shepherd and Daniel Robert Chudy, across the bridge in Port Clinton. She loved working in the garden, bird watching, and helping her kids navigate their early lives of school, activities and sports. She gradually returned to the education field with positions at Ida Rupp Public Library, Immaculate Conception School, Catawba Elementary, and teaching GED at Port Clinton High School. Her career love was Title One and Reading Recovery at Bataan Elementary, from which she retired in 2009. She was proud to have helped so many children learn and love to read and spoke of it fondly until her last days.

In her later years, she loved traveling the world, including Alaska, Iceland and Australia, as well as traveling to see her grandkids Logan, Hayden and Desmond in Denver and Maryland. Trips to Siesta Key with the grandkids were on the top of the list. She pursued photography, birding, and loved her time with the Dessert Club.

Donna will always be remembered by her beautiful smile, warm hugs and her love of her family, her friends, and teaching…and singing and dancing.

Funeral arrangements are held by Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home, 216 Washington Street, Port Clinton. Calling hours were held Friday, May 13. Funeral Service was held Saturday May 14. Private burial at a later date.

In lieu of Flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge www.friendsofottawanwr.org or the Ida Rupp Public Library Fund of the Ottawa County Community Foundation, PO Box 36, Port Clinton, OH 43452.