Purpose, Passion, and Service
Donnie Chancellor Wintermute ’65—a journey of dedication and lasting impact
BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS 76′
Each summer, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras—one of the most impoverished regions in the world—Donnie Wintermute ’65 joins a small mission team at Our Little Roses orphanage, showing up with suitcases full of supplies, a head full of plans, and an open heart.
There are crafts to organize, games to play, meals to prepare, and more than 60 girls at the orphanage ready to be seen, heard, and embraced. There are soccer matches and tutoring sessions, laughter and chaos, and, last year, even a ping pong tournament—thanks to a brand new table Donnie brought down herself.
“We shower the girls with lots of love, warm hugs, and friendly smiles,” she says. “Going to Honduras every summer is the most rewarding thing I do all year.”
It’s her 16th summer. And like much of what Donnie does, it’s not a one-time effort—it’s a commitment, sustained year after year, rooted in relationships and a genuine sense of responsibility to others.
A Life in Motion
In Alexandria, Donnie is widely known for her distinguished 40-year career in real estate with more than $1 billion in career sales. It’s the kind of success that demands constant attention, long hours, and an ability to navigate both high-stakes transactions and deeply personal moments in people’s lives.
And yet, she has built something just as significant: a lifelong commitment to service.
That work has never been occasional or symbolic. It has been active, hands-on, and often leadership-driven—spanning organizations that support children and families, the elderly, the arts, education, and health care.
She serves as vice chair of the Inova Alexandria Hospital Foundation Board, helping to advance critical care initiatives and contributing to projects that have a lasting impact on patients and families. She has led Senior Services of Alexandria as president, advocating for the dignity, care, and independence of older adults. Through the Campagna Center, she has worked to expand opportunities for children and families, chairing initiatives and helping build the organization’s reach and support.
Her work has extended into the cultural and spiritual life of the city as well, including leadership roles with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Christ Church Foundation—helping to sustain institutions that bring both continuity and connection to the community.
And throughout it all, she has remained deeply engaged in education, serving on the trustee board of the College of William & Mary and Hampden-Sydney College, while maintaining a decades-long commitment to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes.
“I have continued to be involved in a number of charitable organizations and boards over the years,” she says.
It’s a characteristically understated way of describing a level of involvement that has helped shape the quality of life in Alexandria for decades—work she has sustained alongside a full-time career. In 2014, she was honored as an Alexandria Living Legend, a recognition of her impact across the city’s civic, cultural, and philanthropic life. Additionally, Donnie was named the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year.
Why She Gives
For Donnie, the foundation for a life of service was laid early.
As a student at St. Agnes, she absorbed lessons that would stay with her long after graduation. She still remembers the St. Agnes Court ceremony each January, when Donnie and four other seniors processed in white robes, candles in hand, and were recognized for honor and integrity.
“It was more important to be a good and honorable person than a star student. Going to St. Agnes was a life-changing experience offering academic excellence, fabulous teachers, wonderful friendships, spiritual growth, and service to others.”
Those experiences didn’t fade. They became foundational.
They shaped not only the way she sees the world, but the way she moves through it—consistently, generously, and with a deep sense of responsibility to others.
That perspective shows up in many places, including Honduras.
When she first began traveling to Our Little Roses, she expected to encounter sadness and hardship. Instead, she found something more complex—and more hopeful.
“Much to my surprise, they weren’t sad,” she says of the girls. “When they come to the orphanage, it is a significant improvement in their lives—they are fed, clothed, educated, and sleep in bed, often for the first time.”
She returns to Honduras each year to continue spending time with the girls, sharing experiences, and small moments that build over time.
“I am hopeful that I can impact future generations of Saints through my long-term giving plans as a member of the SSSAS Signet Society.”
Carrying It Forward
Her connection to St. Agnes—and to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes today—has followed a similar pattern: rooted in early experience, strengthened over time, and expressed through continued involvement and support.
She also remembers the people who shaped her. Her math teacher, General Jackson, became a mentor after the loss of her father, offering guidance that extended far beyond the classroom.
“He taught me the importance of hard work, academic excellence, and kindness,” she says.
Over the years, Donnie has remained deeply engaged with the school—serving multiple terms on the Board of Governors, first as one of its youngest members, and most recently as one of its most experienced.
“I must say that our school has never been stronger,” she says.
Even after rolling off the Board, she has continued her involvement through the Governors Committee and played an active role in the school’s most ambitious fundraising effort to date, the Saints Together campaign. But for Donnie, staying connected has never been about titles. It’s about carrying forward something that began decades ago.
“I have always thought that we were put on this earth to help others,” she says. “It was at St. Agnes that I adopted this philosophy.”
That belief has shaped not only how she serves, but how she gives.
“I derive great pleasure from contributing to SSSAS,” she says. “I am so grateful for the education I received at St. Agnes, and I am hopeful that I can impact future generations of Saints through my long-term giving plans as a member of the SSSAS Signet Society.”
Her decision to include the school in her planned giving is not a separate act. It is a continuation of a lifelong pattern—investing in people, in community, and in the future.
From an eighth grader volunteering in Washington to a community leader helping shape Alexandria, Donnie’s path has never really changed direction.
It has simply expanded.
Across organizations, across decades, and across continents, her work reflects a belief that took root early and never let go: that we are here to help others—and that the most meaningful impact comes from showing up, again and again, with generosity, intention, and heart.
For more information about planned giving and the Signet Society, contact Jennie Wills, Chief Advancement Officer, 703-212-2719 or jwills@sssas.org.