Donna Bland Burrows

Donna Bland Burrows died peacefully at her home in Rolesville, North Carolina, on March 6, 2026, at the age of 78, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s. Born on July 14, 1947, in Christiansburg, Virginia, she was raised in Blacksburg. She was preceded in death by her parents, James Walter Bland, Jr. and Marie Dillon Bland.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Mike Burrows, her high school sweetheart; her brother, Jim Bland, and his wife Barbara and their three children; her daughters, Wendy Burgess and her husband Edde, and Christy Gorman and her husband Rick; and her five cherished grandchildren.

Donna graduated from Radford College in 1969 and taught middle school language arts at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh for 28 years, from 1986 to 2014. In 2000 she received the Helton Excellence Award for her dedication to encouraging a lifelong love of learning. In 1994 she earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from NC State University, completing a thesis titled “The Free Speech Movement – Thirty Years of Student Activism 1964-1994.”

She will be remembered as a kind, loving, selfless, and devoted teacher, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. An avid reader, tennis player, and runner, she rarely missed an early morning workout at the AE Finley Y. She found joy in nature, especially the rabbits, hummingbirds, and deer that visited her home, and she loved sharing M&Ms and Cherry Garcia ice cream. After retirement she cherished time with her grandchildren, collecting shells at the beach, traveling, and taking long walks in the woods around the lake home built by her husband, Mike. The lessons she taught, both in the classroom and in her life, and the love she gave so freely will remain in the hearts of her family, students, and friends forever.