Donna Lee (Atwood) Lamer

SOUTH PORTLAND – Donna Lee (Atwood) Lamer, 76, passed away on the morning of Sept. 22, 2024. Her loving and supportive husband, Russell Byron Lamer Sr. was by her side.

The daughter of Jack Sanden Atwood and Barbara Louise (Williams) Atwood, Donna grew up with her two older brothers, Barry Lane and David Brooks, in Cape Elizabeth, where she and Russ would later raise their three boys among a strong community of friends.

An incredibly nurturing person, Donna spent many hours as a child playing with her dolls. After graduating Cape High School in 1966, she would go on to pursue a degree in child development at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. Donna transferred to the University of Southern Maine after her first year to help care for her father, who was ill with tuberculosis. After he recovered, she transferred to the University of Maine, Orono to finish her degree. It was during this time that she met a U.S. Navy sailor from Iowa, named Russ, at Andy’s dance hall in Brunswick. Their first dance was followed by nights of sneaking in and out of her dorm and his Navy base, love letters, and even two short breakups before they were married on Dec. 27, 1970. In 1971, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree before becoming a mom.

When asked recently what her proudest moments were in life, she answered, “My boys are my proudest moments. Such wonderful boys. I’m very lucky.” Russell “Rusty” Byron Lamer Jr. was born in 1973, Joel David Lamer in 1976, and then Scott Pedersen Lamer in 1979. Donna adored being with them as a young stay-at-home mother at their home on Stonybrook Road in Cape. 

In 1993, she became a licensed social worker several years into the beginning of a long, successful career with The Opportunity Alliance (formerly PROP). Donna supported and advocated for children and their families at the Kennedy Park Head Start program for nine years and then served as a volunteer coordinator with the foster grandparents program until her retirement in 2013. The relationships she nurtured within this community were paramount, creating lifelong connections with many. One volunteer grandparent even kept a picture of Donna in their living room.

In 2007, Donna became a grandparent herself to Folsom James Lamer, followed by Owen Woods Lamer (2015), Dashiell “Dash” Zeno Lamer (2016), her girl among boys Evelyn “Evie” Alice Lamer (2018), and Oliver “Taco” Lee Lamer (2020). Her “babies” gave her a lifetime of love and pleasure. In return, she was there for all of them and their mothers: Rebecca Stubbs, Diana Page, and Lydia Klenova. 

Among her favorite things (besides her family) were her beloved dogs over the years, especially her companion Jackson, who was at the foot of her bed in her final moments. She loved shopping (that woman could shop!) and beating her friends at the domino game “Mexican Train.” Her favorite places included Arizona, where she and Russ bought “Casa Lejos” in 2003, their home away from home, with a Kokopelli on the front gate and an orange tree in the back. She also loved her family “camp,” a cottage on Lake Cobbosseecontee, where she spent her summers as a girl swimming, boating, and chasing dragonflies. She later watched with joy as her kids and grandkids did the same. 

Donna was known by everyone she touched for her love, her pride, her loyalty, and her strength, which she used to endure and beat three bouts of cancer in her lifetime. It is these qualities that will live on in the hearts of those she loved and who loved her in return. 

In addition to her husband, brothers, children, and grandchildren, Donna is survived by her sister-in-law Diane Lee (Swett) Atwood, her nieces Stephanie Lane (Atwood) Albaugh and Katharine Lee Atwood, and her nephews James Wallace Atwood, Jon Leon Atwood, and Jason Murray Atwood.

A private family graveside service and a celebration of life for family and friends will be held on her birthday, May 1, 2025. More details to follow.

Online condolences may be expressed online at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter, or the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.