"Dancin' Donna" Moves On From Caldwell, Looks Fondly on her Time Spent Waving from the Bloomfield Avenue Wall

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 7:41pm

Credit: Victoria Steele

CALDWELL, NJ - Donna Lee, also known as "Dancin' Donna" and "Rockin' Rhonda" has moved on from Caldwell and has left her Bloomfield Avenue wall behind. Lee moved earlier this fall after living her entire life, 42 years, in Caldwell. She could be found on most nice afternoons sitting on the wall at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Westover and on other occasions, like the July 4th Fireworks, or Caldwell Street Fair, she was sure to be seen walking around smiling or warmly greeting people. 

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"I just wanted to let all my 'Rockin' Rhonda' and 'Dancin' Donna' fans know that I have a bit of sad news; I have relocated," Lee commented.
"I will no longer be dancing on the wall next year and I will really miss you all.
Thanks so much for such happy memories and all of the waving and beeping.
I promise I will come back and visit.
Always be happy and dance."

Lee is the essence of all that is Caldwell. She grew up going to St. Aloysius Grammar School and then moved on to James Caldwell High School. 

"I have lived in Caldwell for 42 years," Dancin' Donna explained.
"I went to Trinity Academy, which was Saint Aloyious then,
and graduated from James Caldwell.
I first lived on Smull Avenue, moved to Prospect Avenue,
then over to Westover and then to Espy.
I have made a lot of great memories and known a lot of great people."

Lee says she can't recall exactly when she started sitting on the wall and listening to music. She thinks it may have been six or even ten years ago. As time went by, people have grown accustomed to seeing her sit on the wall at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Westover, nodding her head and smiling and waving to people as she listened to the music from her headphones.  

Credit: Victoria Steele

When asked what she listens to, Lee expressed that she enjoys "Top Forty, Country and Rock Music" and stays away from Hip-Hop and Rap. 

• "I have always loved eighties music," Lee expressed. 
  "I listen to Madonna, Poison, Def Leopard, Boys to Men, 
  Richard Marx, George Michael and Ricky Martin."

West Caldwell resident Fran Fiore Seragusa commented, "I will really miss Donna's presence in town. She always put a smile on my face!
Caldwell/ West Caldwell will miss her - save the last dance for us Donna!"

Credit: VIctoria Steele

Susanne Lazar commented on Lee's departure,
"I really wish Donna all the best.
She often made me smile, especially when when I was going
to visit my dad in Caldwell.
He was very ill, and while I was taking care of him,
Donna would really lift my spirits. and she absolutely helped
get me through some tough times until he passed away, December, 2011."

"Riding down Bloomfield Avenue won't be the same,"
commented Kathy Reilly Zieser of Caldwell.
"Donna will really be missed. 
Anyone who is from town knows her; maybe not to talk to,
but certainly to wave to or beep their horn at her while driving.
Everyone always has so much on their mind,
but when they came around the bend and Donna was sitting there,
she always brought a smile to our faces." 

Lee commented that her wall experience helped her recover from earlier days when she had been bullied. 

"The wall was my happy place.
No one could bring me down. I felt safe and comfortable.
In high school I wasn't allowed to be myself,
I was made fun of all the time and in college the same thing.
On the wall, I was myself and people accepted me for who I am. 
The old Donna that was bullied
would never have sat on the wall and listened to music. 
By the age of 34 I finally learned that you just
can't let people stop you from being yourself. 
And if people don't like who you are, that is ok."

During Sandy, when much of West Essex was without power, without car fuel - Lee made it her mission to get back on that wall and wave to people. A local resident, Veronica Steele, took note of her service and uploaded it to YouTube. 

Steele explained she had videotaped Lee because she had seen her for many years "bopping on that wall" and thought of Lee as "something of an institution in our community." 

Credit: Victoria Steele

"Donna Lee is a gentle spirit
with a real appreciation for tongue in cheek humor," Steele described.
"She has a ready smile and loves making people happy.
They honk their horns and wave when they see her,
and if the tunes aren't  'too' loud, she will wave and smile.
She is a real sweetheart who added sunshine and smiles with her dancing. 
I can't believe she has left.
She has lived her whole life in our community.
Without her, the wall seems so stark now." 

• " I think I just wanted to make people smile while I listen to my music,"
  Rockin' Rhonda expressed. "I hope I did that."

It's apparent that Lee has touched countless lives, more than she will ever know.

Credit: Victoria Steele

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