Loving wife, mother and grandmother, Donna J. Chris, 79, passed away peacefully July 28, 2022, at her home in Big Lake, Alaska.
Donna was born May 19, 1943, in Queens, NY, to Edwin and Helen Ahrens. She graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School in 1961, and from Mississippi Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in 1964. She began the Pre-Vet Medicine program at Texas A&M University but, was not able to finish. She came to Alaska in 1970 with the US Public Health Service, working first in Tanana and then later in Bethel. There, she met Wassillie Chris and they were married in November 1973 in Nunapitchuk, after landing on the frozen Johnson River in front of town with her mother, Helen, and a couple of friends. She and Wass then settled in Bethel, calling it home for the next 33 years. After retiring in 2005, they settled in Big Lake and created a wonderful place for their grandkids to visit and spend their summers.
Donna was a registered nurse and worked tirelessly for over 40 years, retiring from the State Division of Public Health. Through her career, she was a YMCA camp nurse, a staff nurse and Director of Nursing in Galveston, San Antonio, Comfort, and Junction, Texas, then with the USPHS in Tanana and Bethel, Alaska and Ft. Yates, ND. She also worked as the BRHS School nurse, was Director of the Bethel Family Clinic, then was a Public Health Nurse at the Bethel Health Center.
In her spare time, Donna was active in the Bethel community. She was a member of the Bethel Port Commission, served on the City Council, and served one term as mayor. One of her passions was gardening and flowers and she and Wass opened up Seawall Haven Greenhouse and operated it from their home for many years. She brought flower and vegetable starts to Bethel in the springtime, provided holiday gifts and decorations year-round, and eventually moved to creating beautiful flower arrangements for weddings, corsages and boutonnieres for school proms and graduations and other occasions. The fuel tank outside their Bethel home still has the painted store sign identifying it as Seawall Haven.
Donna is survived by her husband, Wassillie, her daughter Jennifer (Bosco) and son Eddie (Tracy), six grandchildren, Alexandra, Jace, Delen, Gracie, Marlee and Jayden, her big brother Ed Ahrens of Mobile, Alabama, and her lovable pup Quake. She also leaves many cousins, nephews and nieces, other family members and friends who she considered family. Donna was preceded in death by her parents, a younger sister, Pam, and younger brother, Timothy.
A celebration of her life will be scheduled following the 40-day Russian Orthodox tradition, at her home in Big Lake.
