Donna L. Tell

1933 - 2014

Donna L. Tell
August 5, 1933 - October 2, 2014
Resident of Sunnyvale
Donna Tell transitioned peacefully on October 2, 2014, after a courageous two-year battle with lung cancer.
Donna grew up in the Los Angeles area and later moved north to attend U.C. Berkeley, where she was awarded a scholarship. She majored in Education and belonged to the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Many of her sorority sisters were life long friends.
Donna began her teaching career in Walnut Creek, at the city's first elementary school. Moving across the bay, Donna continued her teaching in the Burlingame School District. She also worked at the Peninsula YMCA as Publicity Director, advisor to high school youth groups, and served on the Board of Directors.
After moving to Sunnyvale in 1963 and temporarily retiring from teaching to raise her family, she became active in PTA work. She was Vice-President of the Santa Clara PTA Council, and Director of a summer enrichment program at a Sunnyvale elementary school.
Donna returned to teaching in 1973 with the San Jose Unified School District. Most of her years were spent at Reed Elementary, where she developed and taught a Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program for second and third grade students. She loved the challenges and rewards of teaching, so after retiring in 1994 from full-time teaching, she worked part-time at Willow Glen Elementary tutoring children with reading problems until retiring once again in 2006.
Donna was a member of AAUW, and volunteered for many years at Life's Garden in Sunnyvale, a senior retirement community. Donna loved to play Bridge and other card games, travel, read, garden, and watch Cal and 49er football games. But most of all, she loved her friendships and family. She was known for her playful spirit and wonderful sense of humor....she just knew how to have fun.
She is survived by son Anthony Tell, daughter Carolyn Field (John), sister Fanchon Gatlin, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank Drs. Dormady and Sinha, and the staff at the Cancer Center at El Camino Hospital for their extraordinary compassion.
Private family services will be held. A celebration of Donna's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a random act of kindness for a stranger be performed in honor of Donna.