Donna J. Brinner

After a lengthy battle with small cell lung cancer, Mrs. Donna J. Brinner of Stafford County left this earth on Monday, April 14, 2014.

Donna was the cornerstone of the Brinner family and spent her life showing those around her the rewards of dedication, commitment, and hard work. She spent her life in service to her country, both in military and federal service. Donna’s real labor of love was her husband and home, both of which required a lot of work. She spent her weekends engrossed in projects around the Brinner homestead and a part-time business making customized window treatments. Whenever time and opportunity allowed it, you would find her and Jim fishing, anywhere they could find a pole and water. Donna’s greatest accomplishment was her daughters, whom she loved and dedicated her time to teaching the lessons of life and encouraging them to be strong, focused, and independent women.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother, Mr. Jim and Mrs. Rolly Barlow and leaves behind her best friend and husband, James S. Brinner; two loving daughters, Amy E. Conley and Lauren A. Lawrence; four beautiful granddaughters, Jaedlynn Conley and Yasmine, Brianna, and Cadence Lawrence; two sisters, Debbie Gray and Barbara McNulty, and many other family and friends.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at Covenant Funeral Service, Stafford 1310 Courthouse Rd., Stafford. 

A service will be held at 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 1201 Courthouse Rd., Stafford. Interment will follow at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle.

Flowers are accepted and may be sent to the funeral home. The family requests that in lieu of flowers for those who wish to, memorial donations may be made to The National Cancer Institute (Research), Building 31, Room 11A-16, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, or The Wounded Warrior Project at P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 orwww.woundedwarriorproject.org.