Donna Martha Ann Biddle

Donna Martha Ann Biddle

MADISON - Donna Martha Ann Biddle, aged 82, of Madison, WI, died on Thursday, February 24, 2022, after living a life full of learning, warmth and accomplishment. She cared deeply about other people and justice. She wanted to make the world a safe and equitable place for everyone. Donna had a sense of adventure and loved to travel.

Donna and her younger sister, Mary, were raised in a family of women - her mother, Doris Bryant, their grandmother, and numerous aunts in Terre Haute, IN. Donna attended public school and earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana State University in Terre Haute. She excelled as a scholar and as a member of the debate team. She told friends she was so proud the day the debate team beat a team from Oxford University.

As a teenager, Donna was committed to equality and equity. She befriended and joined with African American students who integrated her previously all white high school to fight for better treatment. As a doubly stigmatized student (economically disadvantaged and a child of a divorced mother) Donna understood the challenges they faced in an environment where they were not welcomed and often mistreated.

Donna moved to Madison to attend UW Madison, where she earned a Masters Degree in English literature. She had many jobs, including training sales staff at the Manchester Department Store on the Square, as a teacher in Orfordville, and finally in Wisconsin state government. In 1964, she met her partner, Phyllis Andersen, whom she subsequently married in a joyous ceremony in front of the City-County Building in 2015.

Donna held many responsible positions in state government. While working for the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Donna made trips to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators to discuss health insurance issues. She had several positions at DHSS including as a management information specialist, planning analyst and supervisor. She later worked in the Department of Employment Relations, then in the Office of State Employment Relations as a supervisor and as a Senior Labor Relations Specialist. Donna was a skilled union contract negotiator, trainer and management advocate in arbitrations. As chief state spokesperson, she negotiated labor contracts with the professional research and planning unit, the nurses unit and the information technology bargaining unit among others. She trained state managers on interpretation of the collective bargaining agreements and co-workers on proper procedures. Donna also effectively presented management's position, many times against union attorneys, in hearings before arbitrators and won many important decisions. After she retired from state service in 1999, she missed the stimulation and comradery of work and returned to work for the Department of Corrections for two years.

Donna was an avid women's basketball fan and attended many Badger games. She took up scuba diving in her 50s at Devils Lake and in Key West. She was a member of Altrusa, a service organization; played on a softball team and as a retiree and audited many UW-Madison classes. She particularly enjoyed her service as a member of the board of the New Harvest Foundation.

Donna was a life-long learner and writer, a compassionate, smart and funny woman. She was preceded in death by her mother, grandmother, sister and aunts. She will be deeply missed by her wife, Phyllis and a multitude of friends.