Donna Birtz

Donna MacLean Birtz passed peacefully on Thursday, April 18, in the reassuring presence of her children, Susan Vaughn and James Vaughn. Donna lived a full life and never tired of caring for those she loved - she was the matriarch of an extended family that transcended blood-ties and she is missed by many. Because Donna was as strong as she was kind, no one ailment was going to defeat her. In the end, it took the combined efforts of vasculitis, myasthenia gravis, interstitial lung disease, and congestive heart failure to deprive the world of her joy.
Donna was born December 17, 1940, in Taunton, Massachusetts, where she grew up and spent the majority of her professional life. In 1958, she graduated from Taunton High School, where her father Bill MacLean served as Superintendent. From there, Donna went to college at Holy Union College and Fordham University before becoming a school teacher in Taunton. She attended Suffolk Law School as a single mother and became a practicing lawyer in her hometown before taking on the role of First Assistant Register, Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton. She retired to Cape Cod with her second husband, Bob Birtz, where she spent time fishing and lobstering, painting, telling admittedly exaggerated stories to the amusement of all those around her, helping raise several grandchildren (and anyone else in her orbit who had need of her love and her protection), actively participating in community organization efforts, and memorably, successfully advocating for the rights of her grandchildren and their siblings. All of her many professional accomplishments pale in comparison to the impact her joy and kindness have had on so many of our lives, and the better people we have become through her support and her example.
Donna was predeceased by her husband, Bob Birtz, and her sister, Debbie Engermann. In addition to Susan Vaughn and James Vaughn, Donna is survived by her sister Lynne McMurtrie, her grandchildren Victor Duque, Bobbi Vaughn, Sam Chase, Maggie Vaughn, Lillian Vaughn, and William Vaughn, her daughter-in-law Stephanie Vaughn, her son-in-law Phil Chase, and her brother-in-law Jim Engermann. Donna was generous with her love, so we would be remiss not to mention her many nieces and nephews, including TG McMurtrie, Kelly Bolton, Tracy Luck, and Darren McMurtrie, as well as her many grandnieces, grandnephews, and grandniblings, and the countless friends and loved ones who considered her an aunt or a grandmother in spirit if not in biology, including Stephanie Anderson, Dawn Anderson, Mark Anderson, Curtis Anderson and Karie St. Laurent, and all of the others who have been touched by her kindness, generosity, and humor throughout her 83 years. Even her otherwise irredeemable cat Odie misses her warm smile and gentle laugh.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the National Organization for Rare Diseases at https://rarediseases.org/.