Rosemary Donnelly

Rosemary Theresa Donnelly of Saunders Lane in Prospect passed away on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 after a short but courageous battle with brain cancer at home.

Rosemary was born in Waterbury on October 13th 1938 to the late John F. and Alice (Morrissey) Donnelly. She was raised in Waterbury and attended St. Francis Xavier Grammer School and Waterbury Catholic High School. Shortley after graduation Rosemary joined the Congregation of Notre Dame where she served several assignments including Kankakee, IL, Ridgefield CT, and Staten Island NY. Before professing final vows she left the convent to help her mother take care of her siblings and pursue a career in Health Care, she was employed at Saint Mary's Hospital, Griffin Hospital, Beacon Brook Nursing Home and Abbott Terrace until her retirement in 2004. Rosemary enjoyed living life to the fullest, and spent her free time traveling, skiing, camping and time between the Connecticut shoreline and Jamaica. She was also a devout animal lover and received much enjoyment from the companionship of Kelly, Dakota and Chance who were saved by her from the animal shelter.

She leaves behind her best friend and companion Lucy Liebert with whom she shared a home. She also leaves behind her sister Lorraine Regan and her husband Jim of Prospect and their sons, James Regan and Michael Regan and his wife Jennifer, all of Prospect, her brother Vincent Donnelly of Aurora, CO his son Mark Donnelly of Centenial CO and daughter Karen of Houston, TX, her sister Eleanor Donnelly of Branden, FL her daughter Cheryl Rivera and her husband Javier, her daughter Jill Donnelly and son Scott Lehner all of FL and her sister Patricia Buell and her husband Richard of Waterbury and their children Rick of Hobokon, NJ, Jennifer of Needham, MA, Keith of Cottenwood, AZ, Shawn of Waterbury, Ryan of New Haven, Catherine of Waterbury, Morgan of RI and Allson of Waterbury, and several Aunts, Uncles, cousins and great grand nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, 4 Union City Rd, Prospect. Family and friends are asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury. There are no calling hours and the Buckmiller Brothers Funeral Home, 26 Waterbury Rd, Rte 69, Prospect is in charge of arrangements.

In Lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: VNA Health Care HOPE team, 50 Brookside Drive, Waterbury, CT 06708, Doris Day Animal Foundation, 8033 Sunset Blvd., Suite 845, Los Angeles, CA 90046, Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, P.O. Box 1503, Waterbury, CT 06721 or the ASPCA, PO Box 96116, Washington, DC, 20090-6116.