Clare Donoghue
April 14, 1943 – October 9, 2011
Beloved wife, mother, and grandmom, Clare C. (Cusack) Donoghue of Fairfield passed away peacefully on October 9, 2011 with her family by her side. Born in New York City to the late Thomas and Margaret Cusack, Clare was a longtime Fairfield resident.
She is survived by her husband of 44 years, John Donoghue. Her legacy lives on in her children: Kristen Donoghue and her husband, Jonathan Hacker of Chevy Chase, Maryland; John Donoghue and
his wife, Rebecca Martin of Westport, Connecticut; her grandchildren, David, Maggie, John, Maeve and James; her extended family, and her many friends.
Friends are invited to attend the funeral on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. directly at St. Pius X Church, 834 Brookside Dr. in Fairfield for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be private. Friends may greet the family on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made in Clare’s name to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087 or http://www.giving.mskcc.org.
In the fall of 2008 Clare, John, Gene and I shared a cruise to the Maritime region of Canada to enjoy the fall foliage.
We shared dinner reservations and the fact that we lived in adjoining towns gave us background knowledge with which to converse.
Clare and I shared more than one cup of tea and planned to get together after the cruise for a dinner out; but Gene sustained a very serious ski accident a couple of months later which affected us for the next year, so that date was never made.
I knew of Clare’s health history and thought, life is so unfair, such a lovely, friendly lady had so much to bear. I hoped that her health would improve, knew that John would be there for support.
I would like her family to know that, although a brief time allowed us to know a little about each other, I feel great sadness at this time because she really touched me in a very positive way.
Another friend waiting in heaven.
Dear Donoghue family,
I am so sorry for your loss. I know that at first it may seem impossible to cope, but what has helped me in times past are the Bible’s promises for the future. For instance, the promise we have in the twenty-fourth chapter of the book of Acts reveals that there will , “be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Verse 15) I love that scripture because it gives us hope that we can see all of our loved ones that we have lost in death once more.
At first it may seem too good to be true, but most of God’s word is focused on telling us how this and many other prophecies in the Bible will come true. Such promises always help me to see that God does care about each of us and since He, like a loving parent, hates to see us suffer He soon plans on getting rid of tragedies that we now have to face. There are so many more promises in the Bible that can encourage us, but I hope this brief scripture helps your family as much as it has helped mine in the past.
With sincere sympathy,
Candace T.
Clare was a bright warm ray in all of the lives she touched. She truly was a special, remarkable person… a gifted story teller with a great sense of humor. She lifted you. I picture her now with a gaggle of angels around her chatting and laughing. What a legacy she has left – a life fully and wholeheartedly embraced. I will forever be trying to be just like her. She will never leave us, she is only going before us. Right now she is preparing a delightful sunny spot for when we all meet again. xo
I just heard of the passing of Clare from another Aquinite from the Bronx. Clare and I went to high school together and, in 1966, we went on a 5 week trip through Europe with four other friends. Much fun and many, many laughs driving throughout Europe in a Renault van. It was a most memorable trip. We did not keep in touch throughout these many years, but it sounds like Clare lived for her family. What greater tribute to a life well lived.
Marge Roussel