DONOGHUE, Doris (Neary), formerly of Needham, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2018 at Elizabeth Seton Residence, Wellesley, surrounded by her family. She was 95. Beloved wife of the late John J. Donoghue. Loving mother of Frances Thompson and her husband Charles, Attorney Jack Donoghue and his wife Toni, Patricia Lang and her husband Gerald, and Richard Donoghue and his wife Kathy. Sister of the late Thomas J. Neary, Jr., Ethel White, Retha Grondski, Janet Neary, and Kenneth Neary. Doris was also the cherished grandmother of ten grandchildren and great grandmother of eleven great grandchildren. She was also a loving aunt to several nieces and nephews.
Born in Chicopee, MA to Thomas J. Neary and Ida Giroux Neary, Doris grew up in West Hawley and Holyoke. Married to the late Attorney John J. Donoghue for 61 years, Doris was a Needham resident for 56 years before moving to Elizabeth Seton Residence in 2012.
Doris was a lifelong volunteer. She participated actively in the parent-teacher organizations of schools in Newton and Needham. She was a longtime Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader, leading troops and taking girls on camping trips long after her own children had left scouting. She was a dedicated volunteer at St. Joseph Church, regularly lending her sewing and baking talents to church activities.
Doris was a past president of the Village Club Auxiliary. She provided food for the homeless through a church in downtown Boston, and she worked for many years with the traveling meals program in Needham. Doris created a loving home life for her children. In later years she took great delight in pampering her grandchildren. She enjoyed pulling out old toys for each stage of their development, creating custom-made doll clothes, and passing on her special baking secrets for apple pie, Christmas cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.
The family would like to thank Dr. Diane London, Frances Cunniffe, and the staff at Elizabeth Seton Residence for their loving care of Doris in her later years.
Doris lived a life of kindness and generosity to her family, friends, and even strangers.
Funeral from the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Avenue, Needham, Saturday January 6 at 10:30am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, Needham at 11am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Visitation prior to Mass from 9:30-10:30am in the funeral home. Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery, Needham. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Doris's memory to the Needham Public Library, 1139 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02494, to St. Joseph's Church, 1382 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492, or to Elizabeth Seton Residence, 125 Oakland Street, Wellesley, MA 02181.