The full, vibrant life of Carlotta “Doni” Donnelle Wilson sadly came to an end on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. She passed away at the age of 79 at her home in Bryantown, MD, surrounded by the family she loved, who loved her in return. The world is smaller without her.
Doni was preceded in death by her adoring husband of fifty years, Henry James Wilson; her loving parents, Raymond and Edna Johnston; and her cherished brother, Raymond “Dub” Johnston. She is survived by her three children, Shannon Martin (Tommy), Henry Wilson, Jr., and Byron Wilson (Cathy); her eight grandchildren, Ryan, Jenna, Caitlyn, Logan, Shane, Hanna, Gabrielle, and T.C.; and her seventeen great-grandchildren. She was born in the hollows of West Virginia, in the town of Welch, on July 22, 1943. She passed away on January 4, 2023.
After spending much of her childhood in West Virginia, Doni’s family moved to Prince George’s County, MD, where she spent her teenage years. She attended Central High School in Seat Pleasant, MD, where she showed up her home economics classmates by sewing the best blazer her teaher had ever seen. She graduated with the class of 1962.
She married her husband, Henry, shortly before her graduation. The couple later moved to Hawaii, where Henry was stationed after being drafted by the U.S. Army. They had many adventures there. Doni worked during the day at the Dole pineapple cannery and would come home each afternoon covered in stinging juice. She swept bugs the size of her thumb out the front door of their home and made friends with her local neighbors. They returned to Maryland for the birth of Shannon, their first child, in 1964, followed by Henry Jr. in 1966 and Byron in 1967.
Some years later, Doni was hired as an assistant manager at High’s Dairy Store. She loved the job almost as much as she loved High’s ice cream—“the best damn ice cream you ever tasted,” she often said. She enjoyed chatting with her regular customers, especially the firemen who came in every day for their morning coffee. Once, when a man threatened her while trying to steal money from the High’s cash drawer, Doni grabbed two pots of scalding hot coffee, as if to say: You may get your money, but you’re gonna regret it. The would-be thief ran out the door.
Later in life, Doni worked at JW Jewelers, her father’s jewelry store business, helping customers find the perfect diamond ring for their soon-to-be fiancées. She wished each newlywed couple the same happiness and longevity she found in her own marriage. She retired from work at the age of 62.
Though Doni was steadfastly “allergic to BS,” as she put it, her family remembers her sillier side as well. She loved hiding money in backyard Easter eggs for her grandchildren to find, and she adored her two chihuahuas, Cocoa and Mocha, to a fault. (She had only wanted one dog, but she just couldn’t adopt one and not his brother, too.) Whether she was tipping over backwards in her living room chair or getting flipped upside down by a Myrtle Beach wave, she was never too proud to laugh at herself. Even now, her laughter echoes, and so does her memory.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 10 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Brinsfield Funeral Home in Charlotte Hall, MD. The Funeral Service will begin there on Wednesday, January 11 at 11:00 am, followed by interment at Charles Memorial Gardens in Leonardtown, MD.
Mourners are welcome to send flowers or to make memorial contributions to the Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department.
Condolences can be made to the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
