Donna J. (Blanchard) McGuinness

74, of Cranston, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 16, 2020 at RI Hospital, Providence. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Alice (Higgins) Blanchard. Donna is survived by her loving daughters, Sheila Cabral and her husband James of Barrington and Sharon McGuinness of Cranston. She was the cherished grandmother of Joshua and Matthew Cabral and Colin McGuinness. She was the sister of Bonita Blanchard of NY.

Donna attended Calvary Baptist Church in Providence for many years before becoming the secretary for 12 years. In her position, she worked closely with SPNM-South Providence Neighborhood Ministries located inside the church. Their mission was to provide assistance to those in need with food, clothing, rent assistance or any other needs they had. It was a very rewarding and meaningful job to her. Donna enjoyed it very much until illness forced her to retire at only 53.

After a few years, she was able to volunteer at Women and Infants Hospital and was glad to be helping others again. She enjoyed crafts, reading and watching TV, especially Jeopardy. She knew many of the answers and her wealth of knowledge was incredible. In the last several years, she enjoyed learning about the game of football from her grandsons. They were great teachers and she really caught on. She became a fan of the New England Patriots and enjoyed watching them play.

Her funeral services are respectfully private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice and would be greatly appreciated.