Donna Marcia Wells, 56, of Washington, D.C., passed away Monday, Nov. 2, 2009, at Howard University Hospital, formerly Freedman Hospital, in Washington, D.C.

Daughter of Lavella M. Wells-Hardin of Forest City, N.C., and the late Marcus Wells Jr., she was born May 25, 1953, in Washington, D.C. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Livie C. Meacham and Lillie Malloy Meacham.

At an early age, she joined Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg. After moving back to Washington, D.C., she attended school and church at Our Lady Perpetual Help and Saint Francis DeSalle Catholic churches. She graduated from Allen High School for Women in Asheville, N.C., and earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Hampton University and at the time of her death, she was working on her P.H.D. at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Wells had served in various capacities. Some of them were: Prints and Photographs Librarian at Howard University’s Moorland- Spingarn Research Center; archivist for Gallaudet University, where she taught museum studies; assistant archivist for the American Association for the Advancement of Science; photo librarian at the Library of Congress; devoted her career to the care and interpretation of African American collections and to the preservation of Washington, D.C., history; lectured frequently and conducted workshops on the care of photographs; active member of the Exposure Group African American Photographers Association and the FotoCraft Cameral club; member of the city’s Emancipation Celebration Commission, on the Historical Records Advisory Review Board; board member of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.; and served on the program committee of the D.C. Historical Studies Conference since 1995.

She wrote reviews and articles on photography and photographers. She received outstanding contributions. Recently, she received the Arline Custer Memorial Award from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC).

In addition to her mother, she is survived by her sister, Cheryl L. Wells of Forest City, N.C., and a host of other relatives.

Services in Washington, D.C., for Ms. Wells will be held on the campus of Howard University in the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on Monday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Edward Jones officiating.

The family may be contacted at 6333 Oak Ridge Drive, Alexandria, Va.

Arrangements by John T. Rhines Funeral Home of 3005 12th Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017.

Services in Gaffney will be announced later. Foster Funeral Home of Gaffney is in charge of local arrangements.