Donna Morgan

Donna Morgan (née Donegan), 84, of Newton, MA, passed away on Sunday, August 24th 2025 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Donna was born in 1941 in Bakersfield, California, the daughter of Dolores and Robert Donegan. She graduated from Garces High in 1958 and after attending Bakersfield Junior College went on to attend San Francisco State College, later earning her master's degree in social work at Columbia University in 1967.
While in New York at Columbia, Donna met her future husband, Alec, then a medical student there. Donna caught his eye on the neurology ward of the hospital. The clever young man asked her for a tour of the rehabilitation ward, which she initially declined. However, she eventually relented to his Southern charm.

Donna and Alec were married in 1967 in New York City. They lived in Cambridge then moved to Coronado, California, while Alec was in the Navy. They had their first child, Ian, in 1971. The young family enjoyed camping and traveling in a pop-up VW camper, which included several trips to Mexico-a place Donna continued to love and visit throughout her life. They moved back to Massachusetts in 1971 to pursue their careers, and settled in Newton. Donna began work in 1975 at West-Ros-Park Mental Health Center. In 1976, their daughter Elise was born.

Donna was passionate about helping people through her work and served the community as a clinical social worker at West-Ros-Park, Brookline Visiting Nurses Service, Partners Health, and her private practice of psychotherapy. She was a student and later faculty member at Boston Psychoanalytic Advanced Training Program. She retired in 2020.

Donna truly enjoyed life and exploring the world. She planned and took many trips abroad with her family to Europe, Eastern Europe, New Zealand, and Asia. She adored spending time with her family in Maine and Martha's Vineyard and more recently in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she spent many summers with Alec. She loved museums and music, especially jazz and opera, and appreciated exploring and learning about cultures different from her own.

An avid and curious cook, originally inspired by Julia Child, but later found other culinary muses. Donna recreated dishes with her own creative flair. She loved and collected hundreds of recipes, which she used to celebrate with family and friends and mark special events.

Donna was a social creature and a loving and generous friend, wife, mother, and grandmother. She made friends from all walks of life and maintained several close-knit groups. One thing Donna will be remembered for is her unique (and sometimes dark) sense of humor, which she passed on to her family. For example, in the 1990s, she attended a Halloween party dressed as a hot flash in a bright pink spandex bodysuit. Alec accompanied her, dressed as a mid-life crisis.

Donna suffered from Alzheimer's disease in the years before her death. Despite her memory loss, she retained her humor and good spirits until the end.

Donna is survived by her husband, Alec Morgan; her son, Ian Morgan (Anna); her daughter, Elise Morgan (Lee Matsueda); and her grandchildren, Sasha Morgan, Max Matsueda, and Fox Matsueda. She was preceded in death by her brother, Gerry Donegan, who passed away earlier this year.

The family will honor Donna with a private scattering of her ashes at Newton Cemetery. A celebration of her life will be held at the family home, 94 Herrick Road, Newton MA 02459 on Friday, September 5, from 3–6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Donna's memory may be made to WBUR or Alzheimer's Association