Obituary of Donna Joan Barnett
It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Donna Barnett who passed away on Monday, January 6th, 2025, age 63, after a difficult and brave health journey with the disease AL Amyloidosis. Donna was a courageous spirit during her illness, as she was throughout her life. This characteristic was with her to the very end. She lifted the hearts of everyone around her through her fortitude and good humour, making this difficult journey far more tolerable for those supporting her.
Donna lived life with an adventurous will and a strong desire to explore and discover the essence of the places she visited and stayed. Donna captured her experiences through the lens of her camera as an accomplished photographer, and in her words as a writer. Using her talents, Donna lived and traveled extensively in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut where she worked as a photographer and writer. On assignment in various communities, Donna captured the lives of the people of the north. Her travels took her on the north's many rivers and lakes, exploring by canoe in remote areas, capturing the landscape, plants, and wildlife through her photographer’s eye.
Donna was born in Toronto, Ontario, and in 1990, moved with her husband to Nova Scotia, a province that would become dear to her heart and a place she would call home. She set to work exploring the features and scenic places in the province, documenting them through her photographs and writing. She published numerous books from her travels, including River of Dreams – The Saga of the Shubenacadie Canal, Halifax Regional Municipality, Waterfalls – Nova Scotia’s Masterpieces, and Best Nova Scotia Beaches.
Donna served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) with a career spanning thirty-six years and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During this time she built life-long friendships and left a huge impact on those with whom she served, as a mentor, shipmate and leader whether across Canada, the USA, or in many allied countries.
Throughout her life, Donna loved to sail, eventually fulfilling her dream of owning a boat, Isabella II, with her husband. Together, they spent several years living onboard Isabella II sailing the east coast ending up in the Bahamas where they spent some time.
Donna is survived by her husband of thirty-four years, Allen Chapman, and her children, Emma (partner Ben) and Alexander (partner Raisa), extended family and numerous friends.
Finally, as a dear friend wrote about her, “More than most of us, Donna understood that a story is simply the past tense of an adventure. Whether verbal or photographic, her life was full of stories, stories gathered across an extraordinary span of adventures and told with uniquely thoughtful enthusiasm. Even without new adventures, I know that there will always be the stories.”
Donna would like to thank the wonderful staff at Hospice Halifax who took care of her and supported the family during her final weeks. The family would like to encourage others to donate to Hospice Halifax whose work in caring for palliative patients is so immensely impactful and important (https://hospicehalifax.ca/ ). Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Dr., Coldbrook, NS, B4R 1B9 (902-679-2822).
