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Carol Donnelly

July 1, 2022
Portage, MI

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Donnelly, Carol D. 8/1/1928 - 7/1/2022 Portage Carol passed away peacefully at the age of 93, on her porch overlooking Long Lake, with her three children Michael Patrick Donnelly, Gregory Charles Donnelly and Colleen Elizabeth Donnelly surrounding her. Carol was preceded in death by her husband Leon Gregory Donnelly, who also died at their Long Lake Home on June 5th, 2001; her mother, Genevieve Gallerno (Shaw) of Toronto Ontario; father, Charles Erickson of Kirkland Lake Ontario; sister, June (Romeo) Soulliere of Windsor Ontario; brother, Roger (Betty) of Washego, Ontario. Carol was also blessed with 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren during her life. Carol is survived by her children; Michael Patrick (Candace) Donnelly of Rockford, IL and their children, Meegan (sons, Nicholas, Owen and Jack) of Iowa City, IA, John (Christy) of Arlington, VA, and Shelby of Philadelphia, PA; Gregory Charles (Karen) Donnelly of Avon Lake, OH and their children, Lauren of Lakewood, OH, Patrick (Katie) and their daughter Shannon Rose of Avon, OH, and Kristen of Columbus, OH; Colleen Elizabeth (Mark Haupert) Donnelly of Richland, MI and her children, Joseph (Anne) and their sons Harland and Finn of Hudsonville, MI, Meg (Matt) Elliott of Juneau, AK, and Luke (Jamie Endicott) and their son Leon of Grand Rapids, MI. Carol was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in gold mining country. Her parents fell on hard times and from the age of 6 to 9 years, Carol, and her sister June, lived with the Grey Nuns in Eganville, Ontario. This proved to be the beginning of Carol's spiritual journey and love of God. Between the ages of 9 and 16, Carol lived in several Ontario cities and new hard times, including poverty, eviction, and hunger. Things stabilized for Carol when she met her husband Leon, during a pickup softball game in Windsor, Ontario, at the age of 15. Leon was 19 at the time. Leon prior to meeting Carol had lost both his parents when he was 17. Leon was the head of a household that included three younger brothers and one younger sister. Carol and Leon married in 1947 when Carol was 19. Carol and Leon started their married life in a two-bedroom wartime house on Prince Rd. in Windsor, along with Leon's three brothers and sister! In 1956, Carol and Leon moved to Garden City, Michigan where they raised their family. During their time in Garden City, Carol finished her GED and earned an Associate Degree in medical records science and began her career in the medical field. Carol held Executive positions at St. John's and several other major hospitals in the Detroit area. The closing years of Carol's career were spent at Bronson Hospital. In 1986, 30 years after moving to the State's, Carol and Leon moved to Portage to be near their daughter Colleen and her family, and to begin their retirement years. At Carol's urging, they bought a fixer upper on Long Lake and turned it into the charming cottage they always envisioned. After 56 years of marriage, Leon died, and for the next 21 years, Carol went on to forge a life based on faith, family, and friends. Carol hosted several book clubs through the years making lifelong friends. She was also involved in "Just Faith", through St. Catherine's and several programs at the Portage Senior Center. In addition, she became close to the Sisters of St. Joseph, participating in a number of their spiritual programs including Transformations. She was active in the Long Lake Association, especially during the years when the lakes water levels were at all-time lows. Carol was an accomplished Artist, mastering the use of charcoals, a tremendous cook and lifelong advocate of healthy eating and regular exercise. She enjoyed music and was a fan of the Celtic sound, especially, when it involved bagpipes! Carol would want to be remembered for her commitment to social justice, her belief in the "art of conversation", her love of books, especially those focused on theology, her commitment to family and friends and her devotion to the Holy Spirit. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 12:00 pm at St. Catherine of Siena 1150 W. Centre Ave. Portage, MI 49024. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service on Wednesday at the church. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to St. Catherine of Siena or Sisters of St. Joseph, in memory of Carol. To leave an online condolence, please visit https://www.langelands.com