Obituary: William (Bill) C. Donahue, Jr., 81, of Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT - (From Biega Funeral Home) William (Bill) C. Donahue, Jr., 81, beloved husband of Dorothy Otfinoski Donahue passed away peacefully on Monday, November 8, 2021 at home surrounded by his family.

He was born on June 27, 1940 in Middletown, CT and was the son of the late William C. Donahue, Sr. and Catherine (Doyle) Donahue.

He attended Woodrow Wilson High School and was a 1962 graduate of St. Michael’s College in Burlington, VT, where he became the first of many in the extended Donahue clan to call SMC their alma mater. Bill grew up, raised his family, volunteered his time and resided in Middletown for most of his life, spending his final years in Portland, CT.

A longtime member of St. Pius X. Church in Middletown, he was most recently a member of St. Mary’s Church in Portland. Bill had a strong faith which he endeavored to instill in his family.

On one occasion, during a huge snowstorm, he and Dorothy loaded the family into the station wagon to make their way to the church to find they were the only family to have braved the storm.

The mass given by the surprised priest was very short but the experience was memorable.

After working more than 30 years as a sales manager, he retired from the Magee/Magner Corporation in Middlefield, CT, but not before he had explored every back road and small inn throughout his New England territory picking up bits of local history along the way, which he loved to share.

Prior to that, he was president and former co-owner of Work Management Associates, a management consulting company. He also worked as a systems manager for Travelers Insurance in Hartford, CT.

Bill was a lifelong volunteer who gave his time freely to many organizations over the years beginning with his service in the 103rd Fighter Squadron of the Connecticut Air National Guard. He served as a past president of the St. Michael’s College Alumni Association as well as on their Board of Trustees and was named Alumnus of the Year in 1977.

A past president of the Greater Middletown Jaycees, he was the recipient of their Distinguished Service Award. He was also one of the founders and a past president of the Greater Middletown Preservation Trust and served on Middletown’s Bicentennial Committee and its Charter Revision Committee. One of the co-founders and a longtime chairman of the Middletown Transit District, he also chaired the building committee for the transit terminal.

In addition, he was a past president of the former Middletown Columbus Federal Credit Union, a member of the Rockfall Foundation and a life member of the 3rd and 4th degree Knights of Columbus who awarded him the Irishman of the Year Award.

True to his Irish heritage, Bill will forever be remembered for his sense of humor and the jokes he was so fond of inserting into conversation as well as his penchant for storytelling at frequent family parties where he was always surrounded by his large family and circle of friends he loved so much.

His love of history, both family history and local lore, fueled many of these stories and his frequent travel throughout New England, especially to Maine and Cape Cod. If there was a choice between the highway or the byway during a family vacation, Bill always took the byway regardless of what the five kids in the backseats voted for.

Most importantly, Bill was a devoted family man and a loyal friend. He was proud of watching his children grow up, get married and start their own families and cherished spending time with his grandchildren where he could pass on his stories and family lore to a new generation.

Shortly before his death, he self-published a small book for the family that had been a longtime labor of love he worked on in his spare time based on 30 years of correspondence from his great uncle who had been a prospector in Alaska during the days of the Gold Rush.

Bill was creative with his time, always tinkering with a project, drawing, pursuing his interest in history, or enjoying the several antique cars from the 20s and 30s he owned over the years. In his last months he continued to amuse the family with a gift from his brother, a shiny little harmonica that he kept in a case in his pocket and which he took great pleasure in popping out at a moment’s notice, entertaining everyone with his self-composed ditties. He will be greatly missed by all of those who were blessed to have him as part of their lives.

Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Dorothy, and their children: William (Michelle) of Portland, Christopher (Michelle) of Portland, Margaret (Michael) Tartsinis of Colchester, Stephen (Jennifer) of Deep River, and David (Temma) of Portland, ME. In addition, he leaves 13 grandchildren: Connor, Emily, Erin, Andrew, Molly, Sarah, Katherine, Julia, Chloe, Eamonn and Joah Donahue and Dimitrios (DJ) and Nicholas Tartsinis. He also leaves his brother Daniel and sisters Catherine Daley and Anne (Michael) Lombardo, sisters-in-law Diane Magee, Judith Lindstrom and Joanne (Philip) Martinelle, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews as well as dear lifelong friends John and Mary Nork.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a newborn daughter, Mary Donahue, brother-in-laws William Magee, Thomas Daley and George Lindstrom and sister-in-law Diane Donahue.

The family wishes to thank the Middlesex Health Hospice staff for their caring support during William’s last few months.

A Funeral Mass will be held November 22nd at 11 A.M. at St. Mary’s Portland 51 Freestone Ave. Portland, Calling hours will be held Sunday the 21st from 3-5 P.M at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St. Middletown.

In lieu of flowers, donations to scholarships in his memory can be made to St. Michael’s College at www.smcvt.edu/giveback or by mailing a check to St. Michael’s College, One Winooski Park, Box 256 Colchester, Vermont 05439.