Donovan Family History & Genealogy

Mary Donovan was born on March 11, 1956, and died at age 24 years old in April 1980. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Donovan.

OBITUARY Annie Donovan SEPTEMBER 22, 1959 – JULY 8, 2022 Obituary of Annie Donovan IN THE CARE OF Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home (Margaret Anne) “Annie” Donovan Long Island, ME- Annie Donovan of Long Island passed away on July 8, 2022, in the loving arms of her husband John Lortie, sister Paula, nephew Michael and sister-in-law Barbara, on the Island she loved more than any other place on earth. Annie was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in January of 2021. In spite of the difficulties and complications of her disease many of her days were filled with incredible moments of Grace, Joy, and Peace. Annie was born on September 22, 1959 to J. Dickert Donovan and Patricia C. Barron Donovan. Since the time she was a young girl and read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time she delighted in sharing her date of birth with the Hobbits Frodo and Bilbo! She would grow to be a life-long lover of literature and reading was her passion. Annie was the 7th out of what would eventually be 9 children. They all grew up in their father’s hometown of Bristol, Connecticut and spent summers in their mother’s home state of Maine. While Bristol and her many dear friends there always held a special place in her heart (especially her “ Bristol Girls”) it was Maine, specifically Long Island, that called her to come home and stay. So she did. Upon graduating from Bristol Eastern High School she enrolled at the University of Maine at Orono and graduated with a B.S. in Education in 1981. In her four years there she worked at both the University Library and the Orono Public Library. For the rest of her life Libraries were her favorite places. She loved college and UMaine and it was there she met the folks who would become her dearest, forever friends. Some 40 years later they all made a point to gather whenever and wherever possible. She treasured those times and those people. From 1981, until the birth of her first child in 1989, Annie was a teacher at Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland. All these years later she would occasionally hear from former students. There is no greater validation for a teacher than to be remembered by a student whose life you touched in some positive way. When her second child started school in 1997 Annie returned to the classroom as the Second Grade teacher at St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick where she also made many close friends among the fellow staff, students, and parents. John and Annie were married on June 29,1985. They shared a long and wonderful marriage together. They laughed at how infrequently they actually shared their wedding anniversary in the same place but really everyday was a celebration of their partnership, devotion, and love. There were some lean years as they started out but always much to celebrate and rejoice in as their family grew and their blessings became abundant. There was always a dog in the house and “two cats in the yard”. Family traditions were made and kept over time. For over 25 years Thanksgivings at Aunt Annie’s, for the entire extended family and anyone else who needed a place to go, were epic affairs with often 40 or more guests showing up! Christmas Eve was always spent on the Island with beautiful, light-filled boat rides home; summers were for boating and the Island; school breaks for traveling to favorite places such as Sanibel Island in Florida and Rochester and Bristol to visit family. In later years Annie and John enjoyed traveling to visit their girls in Bermuda, California, and New York City. They took several trips to St. John in the USVI and their long-awaited trip to Ireland in 2019 was all she imagined and more. Moving to the Island year-round in 2010 was her life-long goal achieved! She served many decades as a Board member for the Long Island Community Library and eventually became Co-Director with her sister Paula, with whom she had an especially close relationship. Annie was blessed with the births of her daughters Mae (1989) and Rose (1992). Being a mother was the greatest joy she’d ever imagined and the 30 or so years they were a family were the happiest she and John had ever known. Sadly, as children do, they grew up, moved away, started new lives with new families, and came no more. While their distance was a source of great sorrow Annie loved them from the days they took their first breaths until the day she took her last. Annie was predeceased by her Mother (1973), her Father (1989), and her Step-Mother Mary Q. Donovan (2012). In addition to John, she leaves her in-laws, Margaret and Paul Lortie of Sarasota, FL and the rest of the Lortie family, countless friends, her Long Island Community, and her dearly loved siblings, their spouses, and her wonderful 14 nieces and nephews. Family was everything to Annie and growing up one of 9 was certainly an adventure. Sometimes frustrating, often comical, always interesting! Being the “baby sister” in that pack she knew she was spoiled, cherished, and always taken care of. She leaves her six brothers Joseph (Rennie) of Long Island, Anthony (Julie) of Portland, James (Cynthia) of Bristol, John (Robin) of Portland, Peter (Elysa) of So. Portland, David M. Donovan (Susan) of Wallingford (CT) and two sisters Deborah J. Donovan (of New London CT) and Paula Johnson (David) of Long Island. Annie also leaves her much adored little black cat Sookie. Annie also developed a deep love for Newfoundland dogs over time and takes the memory of her beloved Lettie and Jenny with her. Annie and John would like to thank the Medical Caregivers they encountered along the way for their care, compassion, and professionalism. They also especially want to recognize and give appreciation to their own personal angels and caregivers Paula and David Johnson, nephew Michael Johnson, and sister-in-law’s Robin Donovan and Barbara Johnson. A cancer diagnosis is akin to being lost in stormy seas, rudderless and alone. This group of people were with them every step of the way to help them navigate the rough waters, keep them from getting lost in the storm, and making sure they found their way home. At Annie’s insistence there will be no formal funeral or memorial service. A private burial service for family will be held at The New Hill Cemetery on Long Island at a later date. Annie asks that when you think of her you smile. If so inclined donate in her memory to your local Public Library, Animal Rescue Shelter, or Cancer Research Organization. Think of her when you see a Black Cat or a Newfoundland dog, when you smell that salty air coming off the Bay, when the first Daffodils bloom in the spring and the Sea Heather in late summer. Think of her when you read a really good book and be sure to recommend it! Make it a point to recognize and be thankful for the moments of Grace in your own life. Annie Donovan Obituary - Portland, ME (dignitymemorial.com)

Joseph Barron Donovan was born to Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan and Joseph Dickert Donovan, and has siblings David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, and Anthony Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan.

Anthony Donovan was born to Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan and Joseph Dickert Donovan, and has siblings David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Anthony Donovan.

Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan was born on March 17, 1923 in Portland, Maine United States to Margaret Eleanor (O'Hare) Barron and John Joseph Barron, and had siblings Margaret Theresa Barron, Nancy Maynes Barron, John Martin Barron, and Mary Catherine Barron. She married Joseph Dickert Donovan on November 28, 1946, and they were married until Patricia's death on July 9, 1973. Patricia Donovan had children Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Anthony Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan.

Michael Donovan was married to Sheryll Fager Donovan, and has a child Michelle Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Michael Donovan .

Sheryll (Fager) Donovan was born in Jan in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sheryll Fager Donovan .

Michelle Donovan was born to Sheryll Fager Donovan and Michael Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Michelle Donovan .

David M Donovan was born to Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan and Joseph Dickert Donovan, and has siblings James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, Anthony Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember David M Donovan.

Joseph Dickert Donovan was born on October 4, 1923 in Bristol, Connecticut United States. He married Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan on November 28, 1946 in Maine, and they were married until Patricia's death on July 9, 1973. They had children Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Anthony Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. He married Mary (Quinlan) Kehr Donovan. Joseph Donovan died at age 65 years old on July 15, 1989 in New Haven, CT. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Joseph Dickert Donovan.

Rebecca Elise (Deleissegues) Donovan was born on February 10, 1887 in San Luis Obispo County, California United States to Albert Oliver Deleissegues and Rebecca Mary Deleissegues, and had siblings Elizabeth Rebecca Deleissegues, Oliver Albert Deleissegues, Lucretia Elizabeth Dana, Albert Hipolitex Deleissegues, Justina Carmen Deleissegues, Samuel Milton Deleissegues, and George Basil Lang Deleissegues. Rebecca Donovan died at age 91 years old on January 12, 1979 in Atascadero. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Rebecca Elise Donovan .

Ann (Donovan) O’Donoghue was born in Ireland. Ann O’Donoghue was in a relationship with Daniel O’Donoghue, and has a child Daniel O’Donoghue. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ann O’Donoghue .

Mary (Quinlan) Kehr Donovan, 83, of Bristol, widow of Valentine W. Kehr and J. Dickert Donovan, died on Thursday (September 13, 2012) in Bristol. She was the daughter of the late Attorney Edward J. Quinlan and Nancy (Peck) Quinlan and lived in Bristol all her life except six years in Detroit, Michigan where her beloved daughters were born. She was a graduate of Bristol High School, class of 1947, Skidmore College, and received her Master’s in Education at CCSU, after which she taught first grade at the Greene-Hills School for 27 years. She loved to paint, read and travel, but her greatest joy in her later years was her grandchildren and she attended many ball games, track and gymnastic meets. She was a member of the Terpsichore Reading Club, the Bristol Area Retired Teachers with whom she held various offices, and was a regular volunteer at BARC, as well as a volunteer for the Friends of Bristol Library. She was also a volunteer for the former Bristol Symphony. She traveled every summer to Montana to visit daughter Liz and brought each of her grandchildren so they could enjoy the beauty of Glacier National Park, hiking and sledding in July. She is survived by her three daughters and sons-in-law: Patty and Ralph Farrah of West Hartford, Kathy and Gerald Bray of Duxbury, MA, and Liz Kehr and Kevin Feist of Kalispell, Montana; four siblings and their spouses: Nancy and Gary McCarthy of Bristol, Florence and the late Dick Cuenin of Safford, Arizona, John and Deanie Quinlan of West Hartford, and Dr. Edward Quinlan of Honolulu; and six grandchildren: Steven, Christopher, and Kevin Farrah, and Molly, Benjamin and Gregory Bray. She is also survived by nine step-children and their spouses: Deborah Donovan of New London, Jim and Cindy Donovan of Bristol, David and Sue Donovan of Wallingford, Paula and David Johnson, and Anne Donovan and John Lortie of Long Island, ME, Tony and Julie Donovan, John and Robin Donovan, Peter and Elysa Donovan, and Joe and Rennie Donovan, all of the Portland, ME area; 16 step-grandchildren: Jonathan, Patrick and Katie Donovan, Michael, Nathan and Moira Johnson, Alexandra and Laura Jayne Donovan, Mae and Rose Donovan Lortie, Jessica and Andrea Donovan, Meghan and Becky Donovan, Libby and Joseph Donovan; and 6 step great grandchildren. She is also survived by a dear friend, and former principal of Greene-Hills School, Gerald T. Kerr. Funeral services will be held on Monday (September 17, 2012) at 9 AM from Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol, to St. Joseph Church, 33 Queen St., Bristol, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday between 5 and 8 PM. Memorial donations may be made to BARC, 621 Jerome Ave, Bristol, CT 06010 or to the Bristol Area Retired Teachers Scholarship Fund, c/o Elizabeth Phelan, Treasurer, 59 Fox Den Rd., Bristol, CT 06010. Please visit Mary’s memorial web-site at www.FunkFuneralHome.com Tribute for Mary Q. Donovan | Funk Funeral Home, Bristol, CT

Paula M Donovan was born to Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan and Joseph Dickert Donovan, and has siblings David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Deborah Ann Donovan, Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, Anthony Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Paula M Donovan.

Deborah Donovan was born to Patricia Collins (Barron) Donovan and Joseph Dickert Donovan, and has siblings David M Donovan, James Donovan, John Donovan, Peter Donovan, Paula M Donovan, Margaret Anne "Annie" Donovan, Anthony Donovan, and Joseph Barron "Joe" Donovan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Deborah Ann Donovan.

Alverta Mary (Donovan) Zimmerling was born on September 24, 1903 in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania United States. She was married to Harold Irvin Zimmerling in 1926 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, and they were together until Harold's death on August 2, 1989 in Lafayette Hill, Montgomery County. She had children Lois Alverta DeShaw, Lenore Nancy Stone, and Joy Irene Elder. Alverta Zimmerling died at age 91 years old on March 22, 1995 in Lafayette Hill, Montgomery County, and was buried on March 28, 1995 at Ivy Hill Cemetery and Crematory 1201 Easton Rd, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Alverta Mary Zimmerling.

Caroline Eliza (Dredge) Donovan of Springvale, City of Greater Dandenong County, VIC Australia was born on October 1, 1873 in Geelong, Greater Geelong City County to Denis Radford Dredge and Jane Gilbert Dredge. She had siblings Laura Jane (Dredge) Gluyas, Francis Walter Dredge, Charlotte Agnes Dredge, Arthur Radford Dredge, Alice Edith (Dredge) Gluyas, Theophilus Gilbert Dredge, Alfred Joseph Dredge, Louis Kendrick Dredge, and Harry Albert Denis Dredge. Caroline Donovan died at age 78 years old on June 27, 1952 in Springvale, City of Greater Dandenong County.

Eilena (Lenaghan) Donovan of Coghills Creek, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1884 in Coghills Creek to Daniel Lenaghan and Eliza Moloney Lenaghan. Eilena Donovan has siblings Nicholas Lenaghan, Daniel Patrick Lenaghan, Elizabeth Lenaghan, Mary Alice Lenaghan, John Francis Lenaghan, and Richard Leo Lenaghan. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Eilena Lenaghan.

Jane Anne Donovan of St Kilda Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jane Anne Donovan.

Blay John Henr Donovan of St Kilda Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Blay John Henr Donovan.