Donna Borofsky

Donna Davison Borofsky, 88, of Brattleboro VT passed away peacefully on November 26th, 2023, at Pine Heights in Brattleboro.

Donna was born in Rutland, VT in 1935, and adopted as an infant by her loving parents, Orpha, and Lawrence “Cub” Davison. When she was very young, her family departed Vermont for a short time to live in a gold mining camp in California. When she was 7, they returned, first to Wilmington, and then to Brattleboro, where she spent the rest of her life. Donna attended and graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1953. While in high school, she met her lifelong partner, Stanley “Pal” Borofsky. They started dating at age 15 and recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. An avid musician, she played the organ from time to time in various local churches. Donna attended the University of Vermont where she was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and earned a BS degree in education in 1957.

Donna spent over 20 years teaching piano in Brattleboro to local students and adults. Many of her early piano students participated in recitals at the Oak Grove School. She spent most of her life volunteering for numerous local schools and non-profit organizations, including Oak Grove School, the Capital Campaign at Marlboro College, the Brattleboro Drop In Center, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Holton Home, the Estey Organ Museum, the BUHS Alumni Association, Meeting House Hill Cemetery, and the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (where she served on the board for 12 years, as president for 4, and then on the special events committee) among others. She was a founding member of the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library, and she served on the board of trustees at Thompson House. Donna served as a Brattleboro Town Meeting representative from its inception until just a few years ago. She was selected for an Arts Merit Award presented annually by the Vermont Arts Council in 1996 and received a Community People’s Award from Brattleboro S&L in 2005. She was a member of the Brattleboro Jewish Community.

In the 1970’s Donna was very active in support of the BUHS marching band and hosted many post-performance parties, along with BUHS theater musical cast parties, at home.

Donna was an avid reader and her hobbies included playing the piano and organ, gardening and taking regular walks around the neighborhood. She enjoyed traveling the world and vacationing in numerous Caribbean Islands for many years together with “Pal” and various friends and neighbors. Over the years she also enjoyed caring for various pets including dogs, cats, birds, various rodents, fish, turtles, and anything else her two boys brought home. She had a very strong influence on both visual and performance arts with her children.

She is survived by her husband Stanley “Pal” Borofsky, her sons Scot Borofsky and Brad Borofsky, three grandchildren Meagan Faulkner (Tyler), Joaquin Borofsky, and Ansel Borofsky, and her great granddaughter (of just 6 days) Layla Marilyn Faulkner.

Friends and relatives are invited to join in a celebration of Donna’s life at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, located at 10 Vernon St. in Brattleboro, Saturday, December 9th, from 2PM to 4PM. Handicap parking is available in front of the museum and all others can park next door in the Holstein Building lot at 28 Vernon Road.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, 10 Vernon Street, Brattleboro VT 05301.