Pinellas teacher who died in Hurricane Helene left a legacy of impact

Donna Fagersten spent her career teaching elementary school kids, a job she loved, but before Hurricane Helene hit, she was envisioning the next phase of her life: A lot more time by the pool in the beach town she loved.

Fagersten, 66, was set to retire this past Monday after working nearly two decades for Pinellas County Schools, most recently at Ponce de Leon Elementary in Clearwater.

As Hurricane Helene bore down on the barrier islands, Fagersten left her ground floor condo in Indian Rocks Beach and walked across the street to take shelter in her neighbor's fourth-floor home, friends said. When storm surge inundated the area, she grew worried about her cat Dylan, named after one of her favorite musicians, Bob Dylan, and left to check on him.

She didn't make it. Soon after, a resident of the building she'd evacuated to found the grandmother of five unresponsive in the flooded parking garage. Friends performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but it was too late.

Dylan was found safe and is now living with a neighbor.

Fagersten was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, one of four siblings. She had two sons of her own and for a while was a stay-at-home mom, then earned her teaching degree, said son Chris Runner.

Her second husband served in the U.S. Army, and the family spent stints living in Tennessee, Germany and Alabama. Fagersten taught elementary school in all those places, Runner said.

"It was just special to her to give something to the kids' lives," he said.

The family moved to Florida and Fagersten started with Pinellas County Schools in 2006, working a couple of years at Tyrone Elementary. She then spent a decade at New Heights Elementary in St. Petersburg, her longest stay at one school.

When her second marriage ended, Fagersten wanted to be closer to the water, so she bought a condo on Windrush Boulevard, a private road off East Gulf Boulevard that juts into the Intracoastal Waterway.

She became a regular at The Original Crabby Bill's and JDs Restaurant & Lounge, and formed a tight-knit group of friends who became a second family.

Friends said she had a contagious smile, a dry sense of humor and a penchant for giving her opinion without varnish or sugarcoating, typically while talking with her hands. She had a trademark phrase for when she was about to tell you what's what.

"Here's the thing...," she'd say, and then words and hands started flying.

Fagersten often paid out of pocket to help students in need. Friend Heather Anne Boles, who helped perform CPR on Fagersten for nearly an hour until help arrived, began to sob this week as she recalled how Fagersten helped a boy who came to school in shoes so tight they crimped his toes. Fagersten went out and bought the child clothes and shoes.

"If she saw a baby that needed a backpack, needed anything, she would go get it out of her own pocket to take care of that baby," Boles said.

Boles recalled the strength her friend showed after a breast cancer diagnosis about a decade ago, braving the debilitating effects of chemotherapy without complaint.

"Even though she was breaking down inside with her cancer, she never let anybody see it," Boles said.

She also kept her sense of humor, flaunting the diverse selection of wigs friends bought her.

"She'd say, 'Well, today I'm going to come in for lunch as a redhead, but you never know, I might be a blonde tomorrow!'" Boles recalled.

A third generation Italian-American, Fagersten was a talented cook whose dishes did her heritage proud.

"The best meatballs you've ever eaten," son Chris said.

After leaving New Heights Elementary in 2018, Fagersten taught at Lealman Avenue, High Point and Anona elementary schools. She moved to Ponce de Leon Elementary in 2021 and began this school year there in August.

Fagersten was still in pain from a broken hip suffered in a fall at school last year, so she decided the time was right to retire, even though it meant leaving her kids early in the school year, friends said.

"She felt bad about that, but she also felt like the earlier she did it, the better for them, because they could get a permanent substitute," friend Tamra Kennedy said.

Her retirement date was Sept. 30, four days after Helene hit.

Fagersten envisioned a retirement spent by the pool and traveling. She'd booked a trip to Costa Rica, where friends own a condo. That was going to be her big trip this year, she told friends.

Loved ones said Fagersten left a legacy that will live on through the children she taught.

At a point early in her Pinellas career, Fagersten taught an all-girls elementary class and become like a mother to some of the students, friends said. A couple of years ago, a student in that class, who by then was a registered nurse, visited Fagersten.

"She said that she would not be a nurse right now if Donna wasn't a mom to her and gave her guidance and put her on the right path," Boles said.

• • •

Tampa Bay Times hurricane coverage 2024

Forecasters predict 'extremely active' 2024 hurricane season. Here's why.

Could Tampa Bay flood insurance rise after a hurricane? A warning from Hurricane Ian

Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here's where to look .