Donna Donnelly

Donna Donnelly, born Tramontana, age 83, of Wayne, is finally at peace after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and PPA.

Donna was born in Brooklyn, New York to Carl and Marjorie Tramontana. She grew up there with her two sisters, Fran and Vicki. Spending time with her Sicilian grandmother Frances and Aunt Josie, she learned the art of Italian cooking and how to sew. She was an avid Brooklyn Dodger fan with Gil Hodges, capturing her heart.

After her graduation from Fontbonne Hall in Bay Ridge, this tough Brooklyn gal headed to Manhattan to become a working girl where her employment with Aeromexico TWA and Hertz as an administrative assistant sparked her love of travel.

A weekend at a dude Ranch in New York State was the setting where she met her husband, the late Joseph Donnelly. The two fell in love and headed to suburbia where Donna finally got her “green Lawn“ that she always wanted. The pair had four children and made their home in Ringwood New Jersey. Donna was a dedicated and devoted full-time super mom, taxi driver, chef, seamstress, carpenter, volunteer, travel agent, hairstylist, art teacher, neighborhood mom, class mom extraordinaire, summer camp director, psychologist, homework helper, and personal cheerleader, never missing a game! Time went on and life had its ups and downs, but Donna, now living in Wayne, redefined herself. She began sewing and painting and she created her own D Squared Designs Company and began working with an interior decorator. She happily acted as treasurer for the Sunnyridge Association at Pines Lake and alcoholics anonymous. She traveled with her friends all over the world hitting up every single museum. She never missed a Mets game and did all of this while acting as the most incredible Nonna/Fin/Nono to her grandkids, taking them to Broadway shows, going to their games and equestrian events, making them watch crime shows with her, and giving them the best no BS advice.

Donna will always be remembered as a beautiful, intelligent, creative, artistic soul with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and a sprinkle of, as she would say, “Brooklyn tough”.

Her strong spirit, bravery and laughter in the face of her horrible illness will always serve as a reminder to us to never give up and that laughter is the best medicine and to live one day at a time.

Donna is survived by her children: Carla, Daniel and Susanna Donnelly, Michael and Lori Donnelly, Patrick and Diana Donnelly, Darrin Wittson and Suzanne, and son-in-law Dean Huntzinger; her grandchildren: Kyle, Kacy, Loren, Daniel, Sarah, Ryan, Sofia, Devon, Liam and Liliana; her sisters: Fran and Ron, Wittson, Vicki Tramontana and Paul, sister-in-law Kathleen Donnelly Secker, many nieces and nephews and friends, especially Lucy and Zofia.

In lieu of flowers,  Donna’s family request that a donation be made to the Market Mission at marketstreet.org or by calling Susan at 973-538-4819.

Please indicate that your gift is in memory of Donna Donnelly.