Please join us at the reception we will be hosting at our house in Portland following the service. We will have some food and drink. Please bring your own lawn chair if you wish to have a place to sit. All are welcome to stay as long or as short as they wish.
Reception Address: 93 Hobart Street, Portland, ME 04102
In memory of Donna, please share a favorite story you have of her. Thank you all for your love and support during this time.
OBITUARY
Donna Barnard was the epitome of kindess. She was a pure soul and she impacted many individual's for the better. Our hope is that everyone is inspired to live their lives like Donna did. She will forever live in our hearts and in her inspiration for each of us to be the best people we can be.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the memorial scholarship that is being set up in her name. You can visit the GoFundMe here:... see more
Donna Barnard was the epitome of kindess. She was a pure soul and she impacted many individual's for the better. Our hope is that everyone is inspired to live their lives like Donna did. She will forever live in our hearts and in her inspiration for each of us to be the best people we can be.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the memorial scholarship that is being set up in her name. You can visit the GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/e2ebe6a5
If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to the Donna H. Barnard Memorial Scholarship Fund to 284 Cumberland Ave, Portland, ME 04101.
I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to Donna’s family and PHS for the loss of a wonderful soul and kind and talented educator. Donna was the epitome of an empathetic and engaging leader in the classroom. I will continue to hold her in highest regard... moreI wish to extend my deepest sympathy to Donna’s family and PHS for the loss of a wonderful soul and kind and talented educator. Donna was the epitome of an empathetic and engaging leader in the classroom. I will continue to hold her in highest regard and appreciate my memories of working with Donna. less
I believe that light, a fundamental symbol of the spiritual, the divine, illumination and intelligence and the source of goodness, as well as the ultimate reality was the essence of my former colleague, Donna Barnard. She was the true light of the... moreI believe that light, a fundamental symbol of the spiritual, the divine, illumination and intelligence and the source of goodness, as well as the ultimate reality was the essence of my former colleague, Donna Barnard. She was the true light of the Portland High School Family. Now, we must continue to let the beacon of her light guide us in following her life principles so that her goodness will remain as her legacy for the sustaining of all that is “Bulldog Pride”.
With my deepest sympathy to the Barnard Family,
Maryann Pendleton less
Donna meant more to me than I could ever put into words. She was my XC and track coach at PHS for all 4 years (96-00). She was also my Chemistry teacher, and I was lucky to have her as a lifelong friend, mentor and cheerleader. I enjoyed coming back to... moreDonna meant more to me than I could ever put into words. She was my XC and track coach at PHS for all 4 years (96-00). She was also my Chemistry teacher, and I was lucky to have her as a lifelong friend, mentor and cheerleader. I enjoyed coming back to visit her either at school or home after I graduated. The bond we had is something I will cherish forever. She always had my back, always. She taught me the importance of showing up, doing my best "run your own race" and never, ever giving up. Over the last couple of weeks, I have reflected a lot over my heartbreak. One big takeaway is that I see a lot of her values in myself. She taught me through leading by example to accept all walks of life, be kind, and that a smile goes a long way. I could go on and on about what Donna meant to me. We need more Donna's in this world and I will do my part as best as I can. I love you, Donna and am here for the Barnards.
To her kids: Your mother couldn't wait to have a big family, that's all she talked about one season - then bam there was baby Charles. He was soooo cute, and I loved playing with you! I have some photos of us somewhere.... Soon after came - the twins! She was absolutely over the moon. You kids were so lucky to have such an amazing mother who wanted to shower you with her endless love. I have a feeling her work here isn't done... and that you'll have a very busy little angel mother showing you signs. less
I was never the best at anything science related but come junior year I had the pleasure of being in Ms. Barnards class. She made everything so understandable and was just such an amazing teacher and amazing person. Not only did she make class fun but... moreI was never the best at anything science related but come junior year I had the pleasure of being in Ms. Barnards class. She made everything so understandable and was just such an amazing teacher and amazing person. Not only did she make class fun but she was also a big help in me getting into college, without her recommendation letter and help I doubt I would have had so much success with application and acceptances. She was and will always be one of my favorite PHS teachers. We’ll miss you!! less
My daughter was a student of Donna's this past year, and she absolutely adored her--as a teacher and as a person; Donna was one of her very favorites. She especially loved Donna's warm, generous, peaceful, and kind personality; she looked forward every... moreMy daughter was a student of Donna's this past year, and she absolutely adored her--as a teacher and as a person; Donna was one of her very favorites. She especially loved Donna's warm, generous, peaceful, and kind personality; she looked forward every day to Chemistry, where Donna created a nurturing atmosphere for the students to gather themselves and refocus in the midst of busy and demanding days. She provided soothing teas for the students to enjoy, and when she proctored an exam, anyone who was in her room felt especially fortunate, as she would always provide snacks and treats. These little touches brought joy and fun to every day. She made everyone feel welcome and cared for in a holistic way. She was truly a rare individual and a gifted teacher, and we will all miss her terribly. She is gone from the world way too soon. less
My favorite memory of Donna is the collection of all the small moments we shared. She always gave me the warmest welcome into her home, she had a true talent for making others feel accepted and had a smile that always made you want to smile back.... moreMy favorite memory of Donna is the collection of all the small moments we shared. She always gave me the warmest welcome into her home, she had a true talent for making others feel accepted and had a smile that always made you want to smile back.
Whenever I saw her in the hallway at school she would always say hello and ask about my day and it always felt like I was talking to a friend instead of a teacher. I wasn’t even ever a student of hers but she made me feel like her favorite student whenever I saw her. Her friendly interactions really did make your day better and I hope she knows how big of an impact her unconditional love made.
I want to thank Donna for being the caring soul she was. Me and so many others have so many amazing memories that we would not have without the love and magic she brought to the world. Thank you Donna 💙 less
Man.. where do i even begin. Probably will go all the way back to the early 2000’s when i was just a kid. Found memories after I befriended Donna’s oldest son chuck who to this day 20 years later is still one of my best friends. Remembering the young... moreMan.. where do i even begin. Probably will go all the way back to the early 2000’s when i was just a kid. Found memories after I befriended Donna’s oldest son chuck who to this day 20 years later is still one of my best friends. Remembering the young days almost every Friday night was a hoard of vehicles dropping their kids off for the night or most of the time for a lot of us the weekend at 93 Hobart..we grew up there. For YEARS donna opened up her home to not just her oldest sons group of friends…but all of her kids friends. It became the portland safe spot for a lot of us. (Even though there were several times we probably weren’t being the safest doing what kids do.) LOL we can get to that later. Didn’t matter who we were, we were welcomed in..fed..made sure we were comfortable and treated like her own. That kindness and empathy of love her her people lived on the next 20 plus years. I can recall some of the most negative times in my life going through some serious stuff…i took a ride over to 93 hobart and always knew i could walk in and be welcomed in by Donna and get the advice i needed. No nonsense clean cut advice. Sometimes it wasn’t advice i wanted to hear, but it was what i NEEDED to hear. When i started working on the fire department i can remember many long nights in the middle of the night, 1 or 2 am leaving the hospital from a call and needing to go to the bathroom…well being an hour out from the hospital thats a long ride home to go potty. Remember walling into 93 hobart backing the ambulance in the driveway at 2 am opening the door and donna was half asleep on the couch downstairs think she had fallen asleep watching a movie with Ann. I sakd sorry donna just had to use the bathroom she chuckled and said you don’t have to be sorry buddy you know our house is ylur house. Well guess what meant that and for so many of us, because of donna it did become a second home for us. I can speak for a lot of others today, we simply would not be shaped who we are today id it were not for donnas love, empathy, support, and motherly instincts all these years. She never gave up on us, especially me after the countless times i almost burnt the house down or caused some sort of ridiculous damage in that basement… ;) she loved each and every one of us hard. Will forever be thankful for her and all she did and taught us. Good Run Donna B. less
It’s so hard to pick a single moment to remember Donna by, and that’s what impresses me the most about her. Donna was and continues to serve as an absolute model of what it means to be selfless and caring. She wasn’t just a mother to her wonderful... moreIt’s so hard to pick a single moment to remember Donna by, and that’s what impresses me the most about her. Donna was and continues to serve as an absolute model of what it means to be selfless and caring. She wasn’t just a mother to her wonderful children, but to the hordes of Portland kids who would visit her house on a daily basis. She had every right to not welcome us into her home, and to not forgive us when we weren’t always the most respectful (I’ve lost count of the amount of holes in the basement walls!), but never did she close her doors to us. Instead, she treated us like we were one of her own, offering a place to sleep and a meal to eat whenever we were there, and always with a smile.
Donna has been the most evident representation of a saint that I’ve ever met. I doubt that I will meet anyone like her again. She was, above all else, a consistent beacon of positivity and happiness, and I’m just grateful I had the opportunity to have her take part in my life. less
I never had the amazing opportunity to have Mrs Bernard as a teacher but I will always remember all the times spent hanging out in her classroom with her and Kenny when we were supposed to be in class. Even when I knew it was time to head back to class I... moreI never had the amazing opportunity to have Mrs Bernard as a teacher but I will always remember all the times spent hanging out in her classroom with her and Kenny when we were supposed to be in class. Even when I knew it was time to head back to class I tried to stay a little bit longer just so that I could enjoy all the fun stories she would tell me. She always welcomed anyone to come hangout and talk with her even if she wasn’t their teacher. I will always be thankful for the time spent with her and the lessons she taught me. less
Mrs Barnard was amazing! She literally helped to change my sons life and I will never forget her!!! She helped me advocate for my son at PHS, showed up to countless meetings for him, and worked with him to ensure he would be able to graduate! She was a... moreMrs Barnard was amazing! She literally helped to change my sons life and I will never forget her!!! She helped me advocate for my son at PHS, showed up to countless meetings for him, and worked with him to ensure he would be able to graduate! She was a Saint!!! She was the kind of teacher you prayed your kid would get! And if you were lucky enough to have her as a teacher, you never forgot her because she made that much of an impact! She treated everyone like family. My son graduated HS in 2018, but to this day I still email his old “dream team” of teachers (Mrs barnard being one of them) a couple times a year to give them an update at how amazing my sons life is now, to thank them again for all their hard work, and tell them how much I still appreciate them!
Mrs Barnard was truly one of a kind and she will never be forgotten and will be forever missed.
My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband and kids and all of her family and friends! less
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