Donna Carol O’Hare, 81, a resident of Gettysburg, PA, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded in love by her family.

Donna was born October 11, 1944, in Dallas Texas, to Martha Louise Miller and Herbert Andrew Miller. She attended Sunset High School in Oak Cliff, Texas, graduating in 1963. A fun-loving and energetic person, she took pride in being a part of her high school’s dance team, The Bisonettes. Those were such fond memories for her that she kept her uniform all these years.

After high school, she attended the University of North Texas where she joined the Alpha Delta Phi sorority. After UNT, she attended The University of Tulsa, in Tulsa, OK.

Donna had multiple careers that she enjoyed- selling furniture for Action recliners, working as a secretary at Digital Equipment Corporation (before it became Hewlitt Packard). For a time, she was a stay-at-home mother before returning to the workforce as a teacher. She took great pride in her work in education, teaching home economics at Maya Angelou High School in Dallas, and then teaching culinary arts to disabled teenagers at Multiple Careers Magnet Center, also in Dallas. Her students loved having "Ms. O’Hare" as their teacher, as she went above and beyond for everyone for whom she cared. Her teaching was no different, as she helped the students, who might not have had an opportunity otherwise, find employment options for after they graduated.

Ever the fun-loving woman, Donna had multiple hobbies that filled her life with joy. From earning her single-engine pilot’s license, to traveling to Egypt and China, Donna was ever the adventurer, passing on the love of the new and exciting to her daughter. Whether traveling to Broadway to see a show, or simply going to the Renaissance Faire in Dallas, Donna was up for all sorts of activities, as long as she was with good company. She also enjoyed fly fishing, camping, and singing in the choir at her Dallas church, All Saints Catholic Church. Even the little things- listening to Brazilian music first thing in the morning and stopping for a Diet Coke before dropping her daughter off at school, Donna found excitement and joy in all the parts of life that most people take for granted.

She will forever be remembered as a fun-loving, kind, compassionate, spiritual woman with a close relationship with God. A woman who never had a single unkind word to say. She is survived by her daughter, Caroline Cook, and more family and friends than one could count.

Family and friends may visit on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, P.A., 495 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD 21146.

A memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 1:00 pm in St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 689 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD 21146.