Donna Dobrogosz, 88, of Raleigh, North Carolina, died peacefully at Springmoor Health Center, on June 6, 2022. She was born in Conneaut, Ohio, on October 29, 1933.

Donna grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania with her parents, Assundo and Alvera Bartone, and her two sisters Dolores and Suzanne. She graduated from Academy High School, where she met her future husband, Walter J. Dobrogosz. Donna and Walter were married two years later on August 22, 1953. They were married for sixty-eight years. Following Walter’s educational trail to State College, Pennsylvania (Penn State) and Champaign, Illinois, (University of Illinois), the young couple settled in Raleigh, North Carolina with their four children, Steve, Karen, Mike and Glenn.

At four feet and ten inches tall, Donna was the towering matriarch of the Dobrogosz family. Above all else, Donna dedicated her life to her family, including her four children, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Proud of her Italian heritage, Donna loved to cook for her family and would prepare classic Italian meals during holidays and family trips; her happiest times being the hours gathered around her big family table. Her signature dish, passed on from her mother, included homemade raviolis and sauce for Christmas dinner.

In addition to her love for family and cooking, Donna dedicated her life to teaching young children and, even late in life, had a magical gift with any small child. Donna was very social, loved to dance, and enjoyed going on family trips to Holden Beach, North Carolina and Erie, Pennsylvania. Later in life, Donna enjoyed cruises with her husband and family. In 2013, she fulfilled a lifelong dream to take her entire family – children and grandchildren – on a European (mostly Italian) cruise.

Donna collected angels, always had a cup of hot tea in her hands, and loved to teach her grandkids how to cook her Italian recipes. No matter who visited her house, which often smelled of basil and garlic, she welcomed them with open arms and a huge smile that radiated from her sparkling blue eyes.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents, Assundo and Alvera Bartone.

Donna is survived by her spouse, Walter Dobrogosz, and her four children and their spouses, Steve Dobrogosz and Katarina Fritzen of Stockholm, Sweden, Karen Dobrogosz and Robert Wilson of Micaville, North Carolina, Mike and Lisa Dobrogosz of Norris, Tennessee, and Glenn and Tonya Dobrogosz of Greensboro, North Carolina; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Donna is also survived by her two sisters Dolores Bula and Suzanne Brown.

A memorial service will take place at a later date in Erie, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Donna to one of her favorite charities – St. Jude Children's Hospital