East Rockaway Native Neill Andrew Donahue Passes Away at 68

Neill Andrew Donahue, 68, an East Rockaway native, recently passed away at the age of 68. 

Donahue loved life with joy and effervescence. On Sunday Nov. 17, 2013 after a five year, one sided wrestling match with frontal temporal dementia (FTD), she reluctantly threw in the towel and sadly is no longer able to touch our lives with her smile.

Born in Brooklyn to Ruth and Neill Andrew with an older sister Nancy Marshall from Charlotte, NC and younger brother John (deceased), she was raised in East Rockaway. She came of age in Charlotte, NC graduating from UNC at Greensboro in 1967 with BA in Psychology, and later a BS in Social Work from Simmons. Neill started her career with Brockton Catholic Charities placing children for adoption.

She later founded Creative Experiences, a corporate catering enterprise, and Phoenix Development, building spec homes, condos and residential land development. Fearful of heights, Neill got her private pilots license. She loved sports, coached soccer, won the women's national racquetball doubles championship in 1972 and became the first woman director of the Weston Golf Club. Neill engaged her family as mother, grandmother, best friend and advisor.

She passes the baton of her energy and lifes possibilities to her children and grandchildren: daughter Casey Ladd with her husband Dan and their three children Ella 9, Trevor 8, and Andrew 2, and son Ryan with his wife Sara and their two children Nora 3 and Tate 6 mo. She is counting on her doting husband, Paul Donahue, to continue to enhance their collective happiness and success in life. She will be missed.

Recognized for her natural beauty, her joyful smile and infectious laugh will linger long in the fun filled memories of those with whom she shared the grand journey. For those she touched and those she made laugh, come join us for one last celebration at the First Parish Church in Weston, 349 Boston Post Rd, Weston Center on Saturday Nov 30, 2013 at 11:00 AM followed by a rousing reception at the Weston Golf Club, 12-3. Open mike. Donations in memory of Neill may be made to Dr. Dickersons Dementia Research at Massachusetts General Hospital whose team supported Neill in her battle.

Checks made out to MGH Development Office with "Dr. Dickerson Dementia Research" on comment line will support other families and eventually help them win their battle. Send to MGH Development Office, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114. Donations may also be made online: http://giving.massgeneral.org/. Click 'donate now'; Under "Designation," click "Other" and write the following in the comment line: Direct the donation to Dr. Dickerson's Dementia Research Fund.

For online condolences, please visit www.johncbryantfuneralhome.com Arrangements entrusted to the care of the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of WAYLAND. 

Published in The Boston Globe on Nov. 25, 2013