Donna Manion passed away on February 28th, age 73, after a cruel battle with Corticobasal Degeneration.
Donna was born in West Roxbury on March 14, 1951. Although she loved to travel, especially to her beloved Italy, West Roxbury was the only place she truly called home. The fourth child of Nancy Egan and Charles Manion, she grew up alongside siblings Nancy, Carole, Charlie and Paul. As a child, she spent her summers in Scituate, and the memories she made there were among her happiest.
Donna was born with a wild streak. If you knew her at all, you knew she was funny. She was constantly pushing the boundaries in pursuit of a good laugh. This definitely got her in trouble from time to time, but more often than not it connected her to people. She could get away with things that no one else could, and people loved her for it. Donna was outrageous, unexpected, and hysterical. She loved fuchsia, turquoise, polka dots, and living life vibrantly. She had strong opinions and a keen intellect. Donna found joy in so many things: a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a good bottle of wine, dinner shared with friends and family in the North End, work and all the wonderful friendships she cultivated there, sunbathing on the deck in Scituate.
Donna loved her life, and she lived it well. She will be deeply missed by her siblings, her nieces and nephews, her great nieces and nephews, and her great-great nieces and nephews, all of whom she knew and loved well.
Visiting hours at William J. Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., WEST ROXBURY, on Wednesday, March 12th from 4-8PM. Funeral from the funeral home on Thursday, March 13th at 9AM followed by a Funeral Mass in Holy Name Church at 10AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) Foundation at pspcbdfoundation.org/honor/