After several years of illness, Donna Margaret Santa passed away in Florida on Oct. 9.
Donna was born March 18, 1947 in the Bronx. During the early part of her life she lived in Rye and went to Milton School and then Rye High School for one year. The family moved to Plattsburgh, New York, where she attended high school. Upon graduating high school, she went to Endicott College in Massachusetts where she became president of her class and graduated summa cum laude. She continued her education at SUNY Albany and earned a doctorate in education administration.
After receiving her doctorate degree, she worked for BOCES Southern Westchester in Valhalla and became the director of Occupation Education shortly after. Donna cared very much for her students and wanted to be remembered as someone who made a difference in their lives.
She moved to Florida where she became a successful entrepreneur and invested in many businesses before returning to New York. In 2013, she moved back to Florida.
Donna loved music and played the piano. She also loved sports and was an exceptional athlete. She bowled a 220 game when she was only 12 years old, and as a young teen, she raced Midget gas-powered race cars and was a champion, being the only girl participating in the sport that was dominated by boys — and she won 90 percent of her races.
Despite never picking up a tennis racket until the 10th grade, she became the girls champion as a senior at Plattsburgh High School. She could even drive a golf ball 225 yards. She truly was a trailblazer.
Donna is survived by her brothers Jim Santa (Sylvia Santa) and Francis Santa (Alysa Santa), and many nieces and nephews. There were two other people who were very important in her life: her aunt, Mim Anzolut, who was like a sister to her, and her godson, Danny LaFuente, who was like a son to her.
On Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. a Mass will be held at St. Gregory’s Church, 215 Halstead Ave., in Harrison.