Frances M. Donnelly of Holly Hill, FL died peacefully on April 16, 2015. Born Dec. 13, 1921 on a humble family farm in Easton, CT, Fran was the youngest of nine children, of whom six survived to adulthood. Her parents Matthew and Amelia (Knapik) Mojcher emigrated in the 1890s from what is now Hromos, Slovakia and anglicized the family name to "Meyer" upon acquiring US citizenship.
Fran's life was long and fascinating. She experienced the arrival of commonplace indoor plumbing, electricity, and the automobile. She lived through the loss of the family home due to fire, The Great Depression, and the death of her fianc during WW II. By circumstance and through family association, she crossed paths with the likes of Helen Keller, actress Arline Judge and husband, NY Yankees owner Dan Topping, actress Jayne Mansfield, actor Lloyd Bridges, President Gerald Ford, and other notables. Her husband's uncle, JJ Maher, was a teacher and football coach of a young JFK at The Choate School, and she and her husband were invited to attend the JFK Inaugural Ball in 1961.
Fran and her late husband Hubert J. Donnelly, Jr. (Jack) moved to Florida in 1981 from Keene, NH, where she had worked as a Placement Officer at Keene State College. In Florida, Fran was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, The Catholic Council of Women, The Riviera Golf Club, the Ormond Beach Senior Center, and The Pallet and Brush Club. In 2006 she received the Volunteer of the Year award from The Museum of Arts and Science. Fran also volunteered at The American Red Cross, The United Way, The Seaside Theatre, the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Like-New Shop, and The American Cancer Society, for which she received the Best Public Education Award in Cheshire County, Keene, NH.
An avid globe-trotter, Fran travelled extensively to Europe, China, the Middle East, Hawaii, Alaskaand everywhere in-between. She enjoyed golfing, cooking, and gardening, and became an accomplished painter. She will be missed for her strong personality, quick wit, and indomitable spirit. She will be remembered fondly by those who knew hertruly, one of a kind.
Fran was predeceased by her beloved husband Jack and her five sisters, with whom she remained close throughout her life. Her survivors include: Daughter Patti (Donnelly) and husband Daniel J. Sullivan III of Bedford, NH, son John James Donnelly of Portsmouth, NH, and son Michael J. Donnelly and wife Jane Cornett of Florida, and grandchildren Kyle and Shane Sullivan, and Rachel, Tab(Shannon), and Ian Donnelly.
A funeral Mass will be held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 600 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach, FL on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Cancer Society. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond.