Visitation will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23 from 4-7 in the Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Mon., Oct. 24 at 11:00, at Our Lady of the Lake Church, 1400 Main St., Leominster, MA.
Burial will be at the National Cemetery, Bourne, MA at 12:30 on Oct. 25.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Athol High School Scholarship Assn. (nursing scholarship), P.O. Box 338, Athol, MA 01331; Leominster Crossings Staff Holiday Fund, Leominster Crossings, 1160 Main St., Leominster, MA 01453; or CHA Foundation c/o Brookhaven Hospice, 500 Faulconer Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22903, with notation: Brookhaven Hosp. In mem. of Marguerite Donnelly.
Marguerite F. Donnelly of Leominster passed away peacefully at the age of 103 on October 15. Born July 13, 1919, in Carney’s Point, NJ, she was the daughter of James Condon and Margaret Elizabeth (Owens) Stewart. She lived in Philadelphia and Audubon, PA and Athol, MA before moving to Fitchburg, MA in 1951 and to Leominster, MA in 1959. Marguerite graduated from Athol High School in 1936 and from Springfield Hospital School of Nursing in 1945. She served as secretary to the principal at Athol High School 1936–1941 and was a school nurse in the Athol School Department 1945–1947.
Marguerite was a member of Our Lady of the Lake Church and the Women’s Guild, the Daughters of Isabella #256, Athol High School Alumni Association, Fitchburg State College Retired Teachers’ Association, Springfield Hospital Nursing School Alumni, and Leominster Homemakers.
Her husband of 48 years, Dr. Edward T. Donnelly died in 1995.
Gracious, kind and thoughtful, Marguerite had a knack for making all those she knew feel special. She often said how blessed she was, and in faith frequently expressed gratitude for all life’s blessings.
Surviving are six sons: E.Thomas Donnelly and his wife Joanne, Daniel Donnelly and his wife Joan, Michael Donnelly and his wife Linda, John Donnelly and his wife Erin, all of Fitchburg; James Donnelly and his wife Mary Ann of Harwich; Patrick Donnelly and his wife Denise of Longmeadow; and three daughters: Kathleen Corliss and her husband James of Milton, Patricia Svendsen and her husband Alan of Attleboro and Mary Ann Freeman and her husband Alton of Pembroke; a sister, Cynthia Trinque of Florida; 29 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, 4 sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law and more than 100 nieces and nephews.
She was the sister of the late James C. Stewart, Jr., Dorothy Stone, Roger MacDonald, Howard MacDonald and Winifred Gormley, all of Athol. She was also predeceased by her step-mother Esther (MacDonald) Stewart and son-in-law Stephen Flynn.
Marguerite and her family are grateful for the attention and care of the Leominster Crossings staff and residents and the Brookhaven Hospice workers, who all made these last five years so pleasant and fulfilling. Her parish family at Our Lady of the Lake and the children of Blessed Trinity Greek Orthodox Church also provided much love and support to Marguerite.
In celebration of her long and happy life, those attending services are encouraged to dress in bright colors.
To order
memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marguerite F. (Stewart) Donnelly, please visit our
flower store.