Obituary for Marie C. Donnelly (Cronin)
Marie Cronin Donnelly, 89, of Hawthorne, New York, formerly of Tarrytown, New York and Boston, Massachusetts, died on May 23, 2021 at her home.
Mrs. Donnelly was an accomplished librarian who worked up until the age of 84. A devoted mother and wife, she always put her family and faith first, and received much joy from her four devoted children and 12 adoring grandchildren.
She was a devout Catholic and parishioner of Holy Innocents Church in Pleasantville. She also served as an active member of the Rosary Altar Society and volunteered in the school library for Holy Rosary Parish in Hawthorne.
She was born on August 24,1931, in Boston, Massachusetts, to the late John and Marion (nee Noonan) Cronin.
On Aug. 11, 1956, she married Robert Donnelly in St. Teresa’s Church in North Tarrytown. They were married for 51 years, until Robert died in March 2008.
She graduated from Girls’ Latin School in 1948 and attended Boston College. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Mercy College. In 1978, she graduated magna cum laude from Southern Connecticut State College with a Master’s Degree in Library Science.
She began her lifelong career as a librarian working in the Boston Public Library fulltime at the age of 16. Her love for people and books would take her from the Boston library to the Tarrytown Public Library to the City of White Plains NY Public Library, where she retired as Head of Circulation and Technical Processes at the age of 60. She was instrumental in modernizing the White Plains library system. Shortly after her retirement, she took a part-time job at the Town of Mt. Pleasant Public Library, in the Children’s Room, and continued working until she was 84.
Her hobbies included reading, camping and traveling with her family. In 2004, Marie and her daughter Ellen traveled throughout North Dakota, completing Marie’s travels to all 50 states.
She is survived by her four children: Kevin (Elaine Yvars) of LaGrange, NY; Ellen Donnelly-Acker (Gifford) of White Plains, NY; Paul (Susan Ruiz) of Milwaukee, WI; and Philip (Daniela Wrede) of Thornwood, NY.
She is also survived by her grandchildren: Ryan, Samantha, Sean, Andrew, Kailey, Heather, Sara, Ben, Angela, Christina, Alex and Noah. She also leaves: her cousins, Janie (Cronin) Reinertsen of Toms River, NJ, and Marian (Cronin) Meling of Norway; her sister-in-law Virginia (Meade) Cronin; as well as many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
She was predeceased by her brother, David Cronin of Yonkers, NY, and her daughter-in-law, Rebecca Whitney Donnelly of Putnam Valley, NY.
She will be missed by her beloved cat Georgie.
The family will receive friends at the Beecher Flooks Funeral Home, 418 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY this Friday from 3 – 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Innocents R.C. Church, Pleasantville, NY on Saturday at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations to Rosary Hill Home, 600 Linda Ave., Hawthorne, NY 10532 would be appreciated.
Mrs. Donnelly was an accomplished librarian who worked up until the age of 84. A devoted mother and wife, she always put her family and faith first, and received much joy from her four devoted children and 12 adoring grandchildren.
She was a devout Catholic and parishioner of Holy Innocents Church in Pleasantville. She also served as an active member of the Rosary Altar Society and volunteered in the school library for Holy Rosary Parish in Hawthorne.
She was born on August 24,1931, in Boston, Massachusetts, to the late John and Marion (nee Noonan) Cronin.
On Aug. 11, 1956, she married Robert Donnelly in St. Teresa’s Church in North Tarrytown. They were married for 51 years, until Robert died in March 2008.
She graduated from Girls’ Latin School in 1948 and attended Boston College. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Mercy College. In 1978, she graduated magna cum laude from Southern Connecticut State College with a Master’s Degree in Library Science.
She began her lifelong career as a librarian working in the Boston Public Library fulltime at the age of 16. Her love for people and books would take her from the Boston library to the Tarrytown Public Library to the City of White Plains NY Public Library, where she retired as Head of Circulation and Technical Processes at the age of 60. She was instrumental in modernizing the White Plains library system. Shortly after her retirement, she took a part-time job at the Town of Mt. Pleasant Public Library, in the Children’s Room, and continued working until she was 84.
Her hobbies included reading, camping and traveling with her family. In 2004, Marie and her daughter Ellen traveled throughout North Dakota, completing Marie’s travels to all 50 states.
She is survived by her four children: Kevin (Elaine Yvars) of LaGrange, NY; Ellen Donnelly-Acker (Gifford) of White Plains, NY; Paul (Susan Ruiz) of Milwaukee, WI; and Philip (Daniela Wrede) of Thornwood, NY.
She is also survived by her grandchildren: Ryan, Samantha, Sean, Andrew, Kailey, Heather, Sara, Ben, Angela, Christina, Alex and Noah. She also leaves: her cousins, Janie (Cronin) Reinertsen of Toms River, NJ, and Marian (Cronin) Meling of Norway; her sister-in-law Virginia (Meade) Cronin; as well as many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
She was predeceased by her brother, David Cronin of Yonkers, NY, and her daughter-in-law, Rebecca Whitney Donnelly of Putnam Valley, NY.
She will be missed by her beloved cat Georgie.
The family will receive friends at the Beecher Flooks Funeral Home, 418 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY this Friday from 3 – 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Innocents R.C. Church, Pleasantville, NY on Saturday at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations to Rosary Hill Home, 600 Linda Ave., Hawthorne, NY 10532 would be appreciated.