Donna Marie Hitchens, nature lover, photographer

Donna Marie Hitchens, 65, of Lewes, formerly of Wilmington, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. 

Born and raised in Wilmington, Donna was one of the five daughters of the late Morris and Nancy (Dickerson) Hitchens. She attended DelCastle Technical High School and graduated in 1976. She went on to pursue her higher education at Wilmington University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in human resource management. Donna was employed by the DuPont Company for 40-plus years until they were acquired by FMC. She retired in January 2022 from FMC as a project planning analyst.

Donna was kind, generous, and devoted to her family and friends. She was the ultimate nature lover who spent countless hours working in her yard and gardens. She was a successful photographer whose pictures were recognized with awards and honors, most recently from Delaware State Fair and CAMP Rehoboth for her nature photos.

Donna devoted a lot of her free time to volunteering, whether it was working at the food bank, serving meals at church, or counting the horseshoe crabs, they all were important to her. She was a true advocate for animals and she was involved with several organizations that supported the adoption and care of animals.

Donna is survived by her sisters, Linda Hitchens (John Anderson) of Sun City Center, Fla., Debbie Pankowski (Ted) of Wilmington, JoAnn Jamison (Will) of Rising Sun, Md., Diane Immediato (Bob) of Woodstown, N.J.; her numerous nieces and nephews; her two cats, Romeo and Frankie; and many dear friends.

Donna’s family would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to Carol Thompson and Susan Pawlikowski for their dedication, love, and unwavering support of Donna. 

Services for Donna will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Donna’s name to the Food Bank of Delaware, 1040 Mattlind Way, Milford, DE 19963, Attn: Capital Campaign. Donna also requested that those wanting to honor her memory should do something beneficial for the environment and/or plant a tree.

To offer condolences, visit dohertyfh.com.