Hannah Joan (Neville) McDonnell, 92, died May 25 after a long illness.
Mother of three surviving children, Joan was a warm-hearted, principled woman who overcame adversity and, until her final days, never lost her smile, her love of song and dedication to her family. Her generosity of spirit touched even those who knew her briefly. All recall her utter decency and keen sense of humor.
A native of Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland, Joan was one of 10 children of Daniel Neville and Mary (Murphy) Neville. She emigrated to New York City in 1939 after several years working in London. She met her future husband, Patrick J. McDonnell, of Glenamoy, County Mayo, Ireland, on March 3, 1940 at the former Inishfree ballroom on Manhattan’s East Side. The couple was married in 1946 after he returned from U.S. Army service in the Pacific.
Joan lived in St. Ignatius of Loyola parish in Manhattan and, later, Sacred Heart and St. Brendan’s parishes in the Bronx. She has been widowed since 1962 and moved to Mystic, Conn., in 1995.
She is always in the thoughts of her three children: Maureen, of New York City; Kathleen Grater, of Mystic; and Patrick, of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She leaves four grandchildren: Joanna, Patrick, Michael and Giulia Sinead.
She joins many departed loved ones, including her sisters May (Neville) Brassil and Kathleen (Neville) Byrne; her brothers Mick, Jerry and Jack and Danny; her sister-in-law Nellie (McDonnell) Flynn; and her husband, Patrick.
Her sole surviving sibling, Nono, resides in Coventry, England.
Her family will greet relatives and friends on Thursday, June 1, from 6-8pm at The Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Historic downtown Mystic. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, Groton Long Point Road, Groton on Friday at 10am. Burial will follow at the Gate of Heaven cemetery, Hawthorne, N.Y.
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