“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
Remembering Sister Donna Collins
Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Donna Collins died on Jan. 15, 2026, at the age of 88, in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. She was a Sister of Charity for 71 years.
Sister Donna was born on March 22, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio, to Robert and Catherine (Engle) Collins. She was the oldest of three children and grew up with two younger brothers.
She was educated in Dayton, attending Our Lady of the Rosary and Queen of Martyrs grade schools, and graduated from St. Joseph Commercial High School in 1954. Inspired by the Sisters who taught her, Sister Donna felt called to religious life and entered the Sisters of Charity on Feb. 2, 1955. She often reflected with gratitude on this call and never regretted her decision to follow in their footsteps.
Sister Donna earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1967. She later completed a master’s degree in education at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, in 1974.
Sister Donna’s 50 years of active ministry began in 1956 as a primary grade teacher at St. Mary School in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, Ohio. She continued teaching at Cure of Ars School in Cincinnati from 1957 to 1958, and then at St. Dominic School, also in Cincinnati, where she remained until 1960. That year, she was missioned to Holy Redeemer School in Kensington, Maryland. While there, trips to nearby Washington, D.C., provided Sister Donna and her fellow Sister-faculty opportunities for firsthand experiences with elected government leaders, as well as the chance to teach students whose parish families were engaged in service to the U.S. government.
In 1964, Sister Donna returned to the Dayton area, teaching middle-grade students at St. Albert the Great School in Kettering, Ohio. She then taught at Holy Trinity School in Middletown, Ohio, during the 1968-’69 school year before coming to St. Teresa School in Springfield, Ohio, in 1969. Sister Donna remained at St. Teresa for 12 years, embracing new team-teaching models in the school and sharing community life with Sisters engaged in a variety of ministries at St. Teresa Convent.
In 1981, Sister Donna chose to teach at St. Charles School in Kettering, Ohio, in order to be closer to her mother, whose health was declining. There, she taught middle-grade mathematics and religion, collaborating through team teaching and job sharing with lay members of the St. Charles faculty. Sister Donna remained at St. Charles for 25 years and retired from classroom teaching in 2006.
Soon after her retirement, Sister Donna became aware of a volunteer opportunity at Dayton Children’s Hospital, where she was offered a weekly shift providing one-on-one attention to infants in need of comfort and care. She quickly formed friendships with fellow volunteers, enjoyed shared lunches, and appreciated the training opportunities offered by hospital staff. This health care ministry soon became a true labor of love. In recent years, declining health made it difficult for her to continue traveling to and from the hospital.
During her early retirement years, Sister Donna also assisted with the preparation of mailings for The Good Samaritan Foundation, at a time when Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton was located next door to her residence. She additionally offered her driveway as parking space for hospital employees as needed, a simple gesture that resulted in lasting friendships.
In 1999, Sister Donna was one of 160 teachers in Dayton and the northern areas of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati whose commitment to Catholic education was recognized by the Miami Valley Catholic Education Council. She took great pride in being honored alongside dedicated colleagues she deeply respected.
Reflecting on her years of ministry, Sister Donna would smile and say, “I loved helping math make sense to middle-grade students. Working with my students to plan weekly school liturgies was very rewarding as well. They welcomed responsibility and felt included in the life of the parish.”
Among her greatest joys were summer trips with friends to Ireland and visits West to Wyoming to spend time with her brother, Tom, and his family. She was especially proud of her Irish cousin, Michael Collins of County Cork, an influential leader in the National Army during Ireland’s struggle for independence in the early 1920s.
Sister Donna is survived by nieces, one nephew and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her brothers Ronald Collins and Thomas Collins.
Contact Us
The post Remembering S. Donna Collins first appeared on Sisters of Charity.