Irene Donovan

Irene C. Donovan, 87, a Stoneham resident since 1947, died Tuesday at her home, surrounded by her loved ones.

Born in Worcester on November 10, 1925 she was the daughter of the late Daniel J. and Irene (Monroe) Costello.

Mrs. Donovan was raised in Woburn and was a graduate of Woburn High School. She later went on to graduate from Lowell State Teachers College after which she began a long and successful career in education. She had taught at St. Patrick School and later retired from Stoneham Public Schools where she had taught at the elementary school level.

Mrs. Donovan was a long time member of St. Patrick Church, a member and Vice-President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a past President of the Stoneham Teachers Association. She was also the Vice-President of the Massachusetts Democratic Committee, the President of the Stoneham Democratic Committee and, for many years, had been a delegate to the state convention.

Mrs. Donovan was the devoted wife of the late William A. Donovan. She was the loving mother of Kathleen D. Strang and her husband Lenny of Billerica, Rose I. Donovan of Stoneham, William A. Donovan and his wife Linda of Seabrook, NH, Mary E. Palumbo and her late husband Thomas of Reading, Carol A. DeForrest and her husband Roland of Rowley, Theresa C. Christopher and her husband Edward of Winchester, and Timothy J. Donovan and his wife Sharon of Stoneham. She was the sister of Katherine Turner and Marion Severance of Woburn and the late Helen Cogswell. She was the sister-in-law of Joseph H. Donovan of Stoneham. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren: Kimberly Donovan, Billy Donovan and his fiancée Lucia Cortina, Kristen DeForrest, Sarah DeForrest and her fiancé Donald Engstrom, Vanessa Christopher and her husband Brandon Jackson, Jonathan and Nicholas Christopher, Matthew and Mark Donovan and Christopher Strang. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.

A funeral will be held from the McDonald-Finnegan Funeral Home, 322 Main St., Stoneham on Saturday at 10am followed by a funeral mass in St. Patrick Church, 71 Central St., Stoneham at 11 o'clock. A visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the Funeral Home on Friday from 4 to 8 pm.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the St. Patrick School Education Fund, 20 Pleasant St. Stoneham, MA 02180.
Read Irene Donovan's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdonaldfs.com.

Visitation

McDonald-Finnegan Funeral Home
322 Main Street
Stoneham , MA US 02180
Friday, September 27, 2013, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Service

St. Patrick Church
71 Central Street
Stoneham , MA US 02180
Saturday, September 28, 2013, 11:00 AM