Donnaline Gertrude Nielsen

January 14, 1948 – May 2, 2022

Donnaline “Donna” Gertrude Nielsen, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died on Monday, May 2, 2022, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the matriarch of her loving family, and an inspiration and role model for her many friends and colleagues whom she knew across her three careers as a hairdresser, Registered Nurse, and professional Realtor©. She was 74 years old.

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend a memorial service to celebrate and honor Donna’s life on Thursday, May 19, 2022, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Nimmo United Methodist Church at 2040 Nimmo Church Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. A reception will immediately follow the memorial service in the church’s fellowship hall.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Donald Leroy Adams and Evelyn Gertrude Day Adams Secor. She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 18 years, Eugene “Geno” K. Nielsen; and her daughters: Joy A. (Marshall) Wingate (husband Peter) of Winchester, Virginia; Holly A. (Marshall) DeFilippo, and Brandy A. (Marshall) Hager, both of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and stepson Russell K. Nielsen (wife Lisa) of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Donna is also survived by her grandchildren, who all knew her as their “Nana”: Travis N. Titland (partner Amy and great-grandson Dorian); Tristan Rice; Alec C. Hager; Kai Hager; Bryce M. Wingate (wife Emily and great-grandchildren Joshua and Theresa); Helen E. Wingate; Tanner Nielsen; “PJ” Nielsen; and Lyla Nielsen.

The greatest source of love and pride in her life was her family. Her children and grandchildren, even if in another city or state, were always in her heart.

Donna is also survived by her dear life-long friends, her siblings: Evelyn “Cissy” (Adams) Wray (husband Chuck); Paulette (Adams) Rich (husband James Rich III); and Donald “Duke” Adams (partner Barbara).

“Aunt Donna” will be remembered fondly by her nephews: Rich Maxino (wife Pilar and children Alexander, Elena, Nicolas, Issi, and Shayna); Ryan Swisher; and her niece, Ashley Swisher.

And still waiting for her to walk through the door at home are her sweet canine children: Oakley and R.B.

Donna was born on January 14, 1948, in Washington, DC. Her father, Donald Leroy Adams, was a U.S. Park Police Service officer at The White House in Washington, DC during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. Her mother was a cosmetologist, owning a hairdressing salon in Langley, Maryland. They lived in Washington, DC, and in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Her father’s love of horses took hold in Donna and, by her teen years, she was competing in equestrian events. Donnaline graduated from Northwestern High School in 1966 in Hyattsville, Maryland.

After retiring as a sergeant from the U.S. Park Police Service, Donald L. Adams moved his family to a 110-acres farm in Hancock, Maryland where Donna continued to develop her life-long love for horses and dogs. With fierce initiative and determination, she became an accomplished equestrienne, competing in a number of equestrian shows and hunter-jumper events.

Her equine career was paused as she turned to raise her three daughters (Joy, Holly, and Brandy) from her first marriage to Alan A. Marshall in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Hancock, Maryland. The end of that marriage began Donna on her first great adventure as a young, single mother raising and providing for her children. To do so, she would have to re-invent herself, which she did, three times.

First, Donna moved her small family to Montgomery Village, Maryland (and later, Greenbelt) where at a young age she followed in her mother’s footsteps as a hairdresser and manager of a cosmetology establishment for many years.

In 1990, she moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. She reinvented herself a second time, enrolling at DePaul School of Nursing. She graduated in 1996 as a Registered Nurse, thirty years after graduating from high school. As the oldest graduate in her class, Donna used her education, confidence, and maturity to propel herself into nursing positions at hospitals in the Virginia Beach area. One of her proudest achievements was serving as a nursing supervisor at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.

It was at this time that Donna met and fell in love with the love of her life, Eugene “Geno” K. Nielsen, a retired Navy Captain, carrier-based A6 Intruder aviator, and squadron commander. With Geno, Donna found love, true friendship, and a partner for the rest of her life. She was happy to see him become the best Dad and Grandfather that her daughters and grandchildren had ever known.

Over her nursing career of almost 20 years, Donna supervised many nurses in the performance of countless cases of patients’ medical care. Those cases ranged from providing routine health care, across the spectrum to providing life and death patient care.

With a reputation for taking charge and running a tight ship, Donna trained and supervised many nurses who grew to respect and love her. Many considered Donna to be the model nursing supervisor, as well as a dear friend.

During Donna’s nursing career, she was able to return to one of her first loves: horses. With her daughters, Donna formed a horse breeding and racing business, Born To Run Thoroughbreds, in Winchester, Virginia. At its peak, the venture managed up to 23 mares, foals, and yearlings, as well as colts and fillies that raced at tracks in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Upon retiring from nursing in 2015, Donna became a licensed Realtor, joining her dear friend, Jenni “JenniMac” McFarland, on The MAC Team at Rose & Womble Realty Company. Under Jenni’s tutelage, Donna reinvented herself a third time, spending the last five years of her career as a successful realtor. She officially retired in December 2020.

Donna loved art, bird watching, and gardening, especially roses. She was a person who did not wait for things to happen to her. She went out and did them for herself. And she usually brought along her family and friends. Her daughters and grandchildren were used to her calls on the phone saying, “Up and at ‘em!” To know Donna was to feel love and compassion. She made a major impact in this world. As she would say, “Let’s go! Rock and Roll, Suzy Q!”

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