Donna Helen Wagner, 79
July 30, 1946 – July 25, 2026
Donna Helen Wagner, 79, of Salem, MA passed away on Saturday, July, 25, 2026, just 5 days shy of her 80th birthday at the Kaplan Hospice House in Danvers, MA after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born on July 30, 1946, in Brockton, MA, Donna was the daughter of the late Arthur and Bernice (Donahue) DiBona. She grew up in Brockton and was a graduate of Brockton High School.
Donna spent most of her life on the North Shore, living in Swampscott, Lynn, and Salem. She worked hard as a waitress at Pewter Pot in Swampscott and later at Lendy's Deli in Saugus, where she built lasting friendships and was loved by many loyal customers.
Donna loved traveling to Aruba with her many friends from Lendy's Deli, spending time with her four sisters on Cape Cod, and making memories with her family at cookouts, holidays, weddings, or simply over dinner together. She enjoyed tending to her beloved houseplants, had a special love for animals, and found joy in life's simple pleasures like going to the beach with an iced coffee, a jelly donut, and a great mystery book. Those who knew Donna best will remember her as strong-willed and wonderfully stubborn.
Donna is survived by her loving daughter, Allison Schmidheiser and her husband Chuck of Rowley, MA, her son John Wagner and his wife Jen of Lawrence MA, and her 4 granddaughters, whom she was so proud of; Olivia Bromery, Catherine (Cate) Bromery, Jenna Wagner and Jillian (Jilly) Wagner. Donna also leaves her 4 sisters; Leona Allen of Marshfield, Diane Pasalacqua of Middleboro, Kathy Petti and her husband Gary of E. Bridgewater, and Lori Mario and her husband Carl of Staten Island NY as well as many nieces and nephews. In addition, Donna is survived by her long-term partner, Kenny Moberg of Salem and her beloved dog Jack.
Relatives and friends are warmly invited to visiting hours in the Berube & Sons Funeral Home, 191 Lafayette St Salem, MA on Thursday, August 6, 2026 from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Donna's name to The Kaplan Family Hospice House, The Northeast Animal Shelter , or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
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