Donna D. Chestnut

Donna Ann Doyle was born on September 10, 1935 in Chicago, the youngest of three girls, to Mildred (Vopicka) and Thomas Doyle.  She had a happy childhood spending summers at her grandparent's summer cottage at Lake Cora in Michigan, playing with cousins, and cooking with her mother.  Her grandfather Charles Vopicka was an ambassador to the Balkan States during WWI.  Later, he and Donna's father started Atlas Prager Brewing Company in Chicago.  Her childhood was shaped by these interesting family members.  Donna met James Chestnut while attending Pestalozzi-Froebel Teachers College in Chicago.  After graduating in 1958, they married and eventually settled in Homewood, IL.  Donna started teaching preschool in the basement of her home when the youngest of her three children was 4 years old.  She eventually taught at local preschools, including the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, for over 40 years.  Donna loved children and she loved teaching preschool.  Parents would line up the night before sign ups in order to get their child into her class.  She was always singing songs to get students to learn or to get their attention.  If she met a former student, she could always remember their name or a story about them.  She also loved dogs and had many over the years.  She never met a child or dog she did not like.  When she retired from teaching, she missed the children so she worked at the school down the street helping the students during drop off and in the lunch room.  Even after she retired, she loved watching students walking to and from school.  Donna passed away December 11, 2021 surrounded by loved ones.  She is survived by her husband Jim, sister Audree, children Susan, Tom (Jean), and Corene (Dave), and grandchildren Stephanie, Kristin, Tom, Connor , and Joseph.

in lieu of flowers, please donate to an animal shelter of your choice.

Burial will be private.