Donna Catherine Adkins Chamberlain

Donna Catherine Adkins Chamberlain, 65, of Madison, Alabama, passed away at her home on May 11, 2024. When talking about Donna, the words that come up most often are generous, compassionate, loving, caring, and kind. 

Donna was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1958 to her mother Jeanetta Goalen White and Donald Cook and was raised by her mother along with her grandparents Alda and James Goalen (Granny and Pop). After her mom married Darryl G. Adkins, she grew up in an Army family and lived in several places including Chicago, Illinois and Hayward, California before moving to Redstone Arsenal. 

In Huntsville, she attended Westlawn Middle School and Butler Senior High. She loved playing softball, volleyball, and basketball and was on the Butler’s girls’ team that won the first city championship. Her life changed for the better when her mother married Donald White (Papa Don). 

Donna married her high school sweetheart, Sonnie Hereford and they had two daughters, Beth and Catherine. Donna loved being a mom and would do anything for her babies. As a young family, they lived on the campus of the University of Notre Dame that remained one of her favorite places to visit. 

In 1987, Donna married David Chamberlain, the love of her life, and with her girls, they became a family. For the next thirty-seven years, they lived their lives together. As a family, they had lots of adventures and laughs and loved traveling.

She graduated Summa Cum Laude with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies from Calhoun Community College. She worked for many years at Crucible Steel where she met some lifelong friends before beginning work at the Arsenal as both a contractor and civil servant. At Redstone, she worked several places including IMMC and LOGSA. She retired in 2020 and dedicated her time taking care of her mother, step-father, and father-in-law. 

Donna loved everyone but especially babies. Babies were her favorite, but nothing could top the love she had for her only grandchild, Maren Hereford. She loved being a grandma and celebrating Maren and encouraging him to follow his dreams. In 2016, Donna and David became the legal guardians of their nieces Aliyah Adkins and Sophia Carroll. Again, teaching us all that taking care of each other is an act of love. 

Donna loved arts and crafts and spent so much time creating things for people. From cross stitch, to holiday wreaths, to greeting cards, we could always find Donna in her craft room making something unique and amazing. Besides making art, her other love was sports. Donna’s bucket list included seeing sporting events across the world and there was usually a game, or three, on TVs at her house. Her favorite sports event was March Madness when she and David would travel to watch the first week of games in Las Vegas with so many of her beloved friends. And maybe she’d make a wager or two. 

She collected friends, like she collected magnets, a new one from everywhere she went. She was so genuine and so many people connected with her instantly. She was always thinking about how she could shower the people she loved with love. We will always remember Donna for the way that she loved everyone so fiercely. We couldn’t have asked for a better sister, mom, wife, aunt, grandmother or friend; and, we will miss her every day.

Donna was preceded in death by her grandparents Alda and James Goalen, her mother Jeanetta Goalen White, her brother Larry Hugh Adkins, and her in-laws Evelyn and Robert Chamberlain. She is survived by her husband, David Chamberlain, her daughters Beth Hereford (Brian Flint) and Catherine Hereford, her grandson Maren Hereford, her stepfather Donald White, her nieces Aliyah Adkins and Sophia Carroll, her brother Darryl Adkins, nephews Trey Adkins and Benjamin Stagner, and many cousins, as well as her extended family and many loving friends.