Bethlehem- Donna Lyn Gerl Whitlock, 62, of Bethlehem, Connecticut regrettably passed away Sunday, January 12th, 2025, at Hartford Hospital surrounded by loved ones.

She was born in New Haven, Connecticut to her loving parents; Jerome & Doris (LeVine) Gerl. Donna joyfully worked the nightshift at Waterbury Hospital for 30 years as a Radiological Technologist. Donna was well known for her extraordinarily outgoing and loving personality.

Donna was raised in Bethlehem and departed shortly after graduating from Nonnewaug High School. She later returned to Bethlehem because she believed that "life takes you to unexpected places, but love brings you home." She was a staple at the Bethlehem Fair, where she volunteered for many years. Donna loved her little Christmas Town of Bethlehem.

Donna was a larger-than-life social butterfly who knew everybody. She maintained fifty-year friendships with her closest friends and made new lifelong friendships on a weekly basis. If you ran into Donna, you could bet that you were going to receive a life-update on her babies and grandkids. She was the glue that held together so many different groups of friends and family long-before social media existed. There was no one that cared about people and their stories as much as Donna.

Donna was an artistic woman with the most genuine soul. She was an immensely caring person whose beauty radiated from her laughter and her smile. She could make anyone laugh with her wonderfully quirky sense of humor. She had a way of making everyone feel special and important, which they were to her. Of her many quotes and phrases, "The more love you give, the more you receive" was one of her favorites. It truly captures her purpose in life and the touching legacy she has left behind.

Donna leaves behind her children, Jeremy & Sylvia (Nelson) Whitlock of Maryland, Joshua & Kami (Cooley) Whitlock of Wyoming, Jordan & Kelley (Lawler) Whitlock of Germany, and Sara Bosko of Bethlehem, who she was deeply proud of and were her entire world, and her beloved grandchildren Riley, Connor, Brighton, Gwendolyn, Lillian, Theodora, and soon to be grandson Frost, who were the absolute light of her life. Donna also leaves behind her two sisters Lori (Gerl) Kane of the United Kingdom, Heidi (Gerl) Murray of Bethlehem, and her sister-in-law Cherie (Whitlock) Magnante of New Milford, as well as, countless friends who, as she always reminded her children, are part of her family.

Family and friends may gather on Sunday, January 19, 2025 from 1:00 pm until 4:00pm held at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, 2 School St. Woodbury, CT 06798. To leave an online condolence, please visit munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.