Donnaleen “Donna” Plunkett

On September 3, 2026, Donna Plunkett’s earthly story came to a gentle close, as quietly as the turning of a page. Yet the love, beauty, and grace woven through her life continue in all who knew her.

Her story began on October 26, 1944, in Anderson, South Carolina, where Julia Donnaleen “Donna” Nettles Plunkett was born to William “Carl” Nettles, Sr. and Ruby Stevenson Nettles. She was raised in a family deeply rooted in the Clemson community, surrounded by love, tradition, learning, and the quiet Southern graces that would shape the woman she would become.

From an early age, Donna seemed made for a beautiful story. She possessed a curious mind, a love of books, an appreciation for beauty, and a natural elegance that never left her. She graduated from Daniel High School and later attended Columbia College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Library Science and Elementary Education. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. For Donna, books and learning were never simply interests; they were part of the very fabric of her life.

As in the loveliest of stories, hers became a great love story.

On August 14, 1965, Donna married William “Bill” Ohlis Plunkett, Jr., known to family as Penny, at Clemson Baptist Church. Together they began a life that would take them from Clemson to South Korea and eventually to Savannah, and they were blessed with three children, Kevin, Sean, and Erin. While Bill served with the United States Army in Korea, Donna worked as a Special Services librarian at Camp Red Cloud and Camp Casey.

After returning home, Donna taught at Windsor Forest before beginning the work for which so many would come to know and love her. From 1980 until her retirement in 2014, she served as the Middle and Upper School librarian and media specialist at Savannah Country Day School, where she shared her love of books, curiosity, and learning with generations of students.

Donna’s life of service extended far beyond the library. She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Savannah. Over the years, she served her church in many ways, including as a deaconess.

She also gave generously of her time and talents throughout the community and belonged to more clubs and organizations than could ever reasonably be listed here. Among those especially meaningful to her were Delta Kappa Gamma, Nu Chapter, where she served as president from 1980 to 1982; the Coastal Georgia Library Collaborative; and the Junior League.

But the story of Donna was never told only in accomplishments, places, or dates. It was told in the way she carried herself and in the beauty she brought into everyday life.

Donna was a true Southern lady in every sense of the phrase: gracious, polished, warm, and timeless. She was rarely seen without her hair done, her heels on, and just the right shade of lipstick. She loved flowers, beautiful clothes, church, conversation, old traditions, and all the thoughtful little details that made life feel lovely. She understood how to make people feel welcome, and how to turn even an ordinary gathering into something memorable.

Yet of all the roles she held, the dearest to her heart were those of wife, mother, aunt, and friend.

Her greatest joy was always her family. She treasured holidays, travel, laughter, long conversations, family traditions, and the simple happiness of being together. She could dance the Twist, make chocolate chip waffles, tell a wonderful story, remember the most unexpected bit of trivia, and somehow make a room feel warmer simply by being in it.

One of Donna’s favorite movies was Cinderella, and perhaps that was always fitting.

Not because her life was untouched by sorrow, but because she moved through it with the grace, warmth, and loveliness of someone who understood that the truest kind of magic is found not in grand spectacles, but in love, kindness, beauty, and devotion. Donna knew, whether she ever said it aloud or not, that the most enchanting things in life are often the simplest: the perfect shade of lipstick, a beloved book passed from one pair of hands to another, flowers in bloom, laughter around a family table, a home filled with love, and the people who make life brighter simply by being part of it.

The pages of Donna’s earthly life may have come to a close, but the story she gave us continues. It lives in the hearts of those who loved her, in memories retold, in traditions carried forward, and in the countless lives made brighter by her presence.

Her story remains in every book opened with wonder, every gathering made warmer by grace, every flower admired, and every act of kindness offered in her spirit. And so, while we mourn the turning of the final page, we give thanks for the beautiful chapters we were privileged to share and trust that Donna’s love will remain part of our own stories for years to come.

Donna was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William “Bill” Ohlis Plunkett, Jr.; her son, Kevin Plunkett; her parents, William C. “Carl” Nettles, Sr. and Ruby Stevenson Nettles; her mother and father in law, Roberta Finn Plunkett and William Ohlis Plunkett, Sr.; her brothers, William Nettles and James Nettles; and her sisters in law, Mary Patricia Nettles, Jean McGonigal Nettles, and Gail Nettles.

She is survived by her children, Sean William Plunkett and Carrie Erin Plunkett; her niece, Catherine Cutter (Lester); and her nephew, Richard Nettles (Suzanne); her sister in law, Robin Thomson (Ric); her niece, Carrie Griffin Burkhart (Brian), and their daughter, her great niece, Reannon Burkhart Pridgen (Scott); and her step niece, Becky Simmons (Danny).

Donna also leaves behind her beloved best friend, Anne Frech, Trilby Rimes, and her treasured “Clemson girls,” and her beloved Buckingham family; her special caretaker and friend, Lisa Moore; along with many other nieces, nephews, cousins, family members, dear friends, former students, and colleagues.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to invite those wishing to honor Donna Plunkett to make a donation to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in her memory. May her love of books and beautiful stories live on by helping another child discover the wonder of reading and the quiet magic of believing that something beautiful may be waiting just beyond the next page.

Donations may be made at:

https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com

Donations may also be made to First Baptist Church of Savannah or Hospice Savannah.

In lieu of traditional mourning attire, the family encourages those attending to wear bright colors, cheerful florals, and joyful patterns in honor of Donna.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 in Greenwich Cemetery.