Donna Ann Carnevale, 74
BECKET, Mass. — Donna Ann Broga Carnevale, 74, of Becket, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at Baystate Medical Center after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.
Donna was born in Westfield on March 11, 1950 just before her twin brother Duane, the youngest children of Arthur and Kate (Rice) Broga. Her paternal grandparents were Duane E. Broga and Minnie A. Houle of Westfield and her maternal grandparents were David N. Rice and Catherine M. Mallison of Becket.
Donna was initially raised in Westfield until her family moved back to their hometown of Becket when she was 5. She attended Becket Elementary through the 8th grade, and then Wahconah Regional High, graduating in 1968. She played trumpet in the school band and played for the basketball team. She started working at a very young age in her mother's bakery, selling goods by the roadside. As a teen, she worked at Camp Tamarack and Happy Land in Becket. She attended Berkshire Community College, at first becoming an LPN in 1969, and then an RN in 1976.
Donna had a long and distinguished career in medicine. She worked on various floors of Berkshire Medical Center, including the ER. She was a visiting nurse for many southern Berkshire towns. She worked for the American Red Cross as a CPR Instructor. She continued her nursing education with studies in patient care, management, education, and administration at New Hampshire College, Springfield College, and Cambridge College. She earned both a Bachelor's and a Master's. She served as the staff coordinator and director of nurses at multiple area nursing homes, including Great Barrington Healthcare, Edgecombe, and Mapleview. In recent years, she also earned a Doctorate in (Boy) Scouting. Nursing and education were her lifelong passions.
Donna believed in a life of service. Beyond her nursing career, she volunteered with numerous causes that were close to her heart. In the 1970s, she was a firefighter with the Becket Volunteer Fire Dept. In 1979, as an EMT, she co-founded the non-profit Becket Volunteer Ambulance Squad. She served as one of its directors from its inception until its replacement by the town's current paid service. She became an EMT Instructor, teaching a generation of new first responders from across the region. With her colleagues, she saved the lives of countless auto accident and cardiac arrest victims. She personally delivered a baby on scene. As anyone who knew her can attest, she spent all of her free time when not at work with her pager, scanner, and walkie on, always ready to respond to an emergency. Even many years later, she still received cards from people thanking her for the care she provided to them in their moments of need.
Donna was a longstanding volunteer leader with the Boy Scouts of America. She founded and ran numerous Cub Scout packs, including at Morningside, Conte, and Capeless schools in Pittsfield. She was an advisor and mentor to numerous young men in Troops 8, 20, and 26. She was the founder and co-leader of the Venture Crew 007 at St. Mark School, a co-ed outdoor club for teens. She was a recipient of the Western Massachusetts Council Silver Beaver Award. She was also one of the last recipients of the prestigious, national-level Whitney Young Service Award. She was an advocate for youth of all ages and backgrounds and made a point of trying to make a difference in the lives of children from underserved communities.
Donna was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, First Resistance Chapter. She served as the assistant treasurer. She was especially proud of the fact that she shared her maiden name with her direct patriot ancestor, Andrew Broga, and still lived in the same town where he settled. She was very interested in genealogy, having deep roots in Berkshire County, and New England beyond. She was also a classic car aficionado, being a particular fan of 60's Ford Mustangs, Plymouth Cudas, and Volkswagen Beetles. She spent many summer weekends at car shows with her late husband and youngest son. She loved the seacoast in Maine, and she liked watching marathons of crime dramas on TV. She really appreciated home decorating and avidly watched HGTV. She was also a proud member of the Red Hat Society. Donna was a huge Beatles fan and often retold the story of watching their breakthrough performance live on the Ed Sullivan Show. She loved celebrating holidays like St. Patrick's Day and the Fourth of July, and especially Christmas with her late husband, together extravagantly decorating their home inside and out. She was also a longtime season ticket holder at the Mac-Haydn Theatre, being a big fan of their musical productions.
Donna adored being a grandmother to her two young grandchildren. They truly meant more than anything to her in her final years. She loved playing race cars with them, always letting them win. She made a great pillow for naptime, and she loved sitting and reading with them. She set up her spare room to be their special playroom filled with dinosaurs and dolls, which they loved.
Donna leaves behind her son Aidan Clement, her daughter Sara Clement and her partner Ken Gibson, and her son Peter Carnevale and his fiancé Jamie Tierney. She also leaves behind her grandson Charlie Carnevale and her granddaughter Serena Gibson. She is also survived by her first husband. She leaves her sister and brother-in-law, Armine and Dick Cooper, as well as her sister Diane Theriault. She also leaves her sisters-in-law Clorinda Grady and Anna Maria Murray. Donna leaves an extended family of many, many nieces, nephews, and cousins to whom she was very close.
Besides her parents, Donna was predeceased by her husband, Ferdinando Carnevale whom she married on September 21, 1984; he died on July 7, 2022. She is also predeceased by her brother and sister-in-law, Duane and Kathy Broga, her sister and brother-in-law Sandra and Harold Mills, and her brothers-in-law Albert Theriault and Robert Grady. She was also predeceased by her cousin Cindy Mills and her nephews Robert Basinait Sr., Tony Brown, and Duane Broga Jr. She was also predeceased by her very good friend Jeanne Payton Van Orman.
A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 10 AM, at St. Mary's Church in Lee. Burial will follow in the North Becket Cemetery. Visiting Hours will be Tuesday evening, 4-6 PM, at the Kelly Funeral Home in Lee.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Donna's memory to the Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association or the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts in care of the Kelly Funeral Home, 3 Main St., Lee, MA 01238.
