Obituary of David Leonard Donoghue

David Leonard Donoghue was born in Watertown, New York, the eighth and last son of Raymond and Mary Carroll Donoghue.   The second child was a daughter who died shortly after birth.  His mother died when he was three, following which he lived at St. Patrick’s Childrens’ Home in Watertown, New York and then at St. Francis Orphanage in Oswego, New York.  He lived with his paternal grandmother in Oswego until the age of six when he went to live with his paternal aunt and uncle, Dorothea and Thomas Shea, in Amityvile, Long Island, New York.   He graduated from Amityville elementary school, attended Cathedral High School, Brooklyn, New York, Seton Hall High School, Patchogue, New York, and graduated from St. Lucy Academy in Syracuse, New York.  Dave was employed as a childcare worker at various children’s homes including Saint Patrick, Watertown, New York, the House of Providence, Syracuse, New York, the Astor Home for Boys (now the Astor Home for Children), Rhinebeck, New York, St Mary of the Angels Home, Syosset, New York and Highland Heights, New Haven, Connecticut.  He graduated from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York with a BA in French.  He then earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  He was employed at Catholic Charities/Catholic Family Services in New Britain, Connecticut for 31 years, retiring due to a stroke.  He was a member of St. Joseph Church in New Britain, and served two terms on St. Joseph School Board.  He was also briefly a member of the Spanish-Speaking Center Board.   Dave was a licensed clinical social worker, a marriage and family therapist, and a member of the National Association of Social Workers.  He is survived by his bother Phillip and wife Janet, Syracuse, New York.  In addition he is survived by his sisters-in-law Christine of Zephyrhills, Florida, Ann of Orlando, Florida, and Rae Ann of Watertown, N.Y. and 25 nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his brothers Raymond, Bernard, Leo, John Robert, Charles and Dennis, his sisters-in-law Barbara, Leah, Patricia, Evelyn, Bonnie and June.   He is also survived by his long-time friends Phillip and Bernadette Du Tremble and their children, Rosemarie Robles, Michael Du Tremble, Julie Du Tremble, Christopher DuTremble, Matthew DuTremble, Mary Lynch and Lola Kirk. 

Funeral service will be held Saturday (Sept. 2) starting at 9:00AM from the Farrell Funeral Home 110 Franklin Square New Britain followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM at St. Joseph Church 195 South Main Street, New Britain. Entombment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery Garden Mausoleum. Visitation will be held Friday (Sept. 1) from 5:00 – 7:00PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Daughters of Charity, 333 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727, the Bro. Joseph L R Belanger Scholarship at Marist College, 3399 N. Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, or St. Joseph Church 195 S. Main Street, New Britain, CT.