Eugene l Donnelly
Born on October 10, 1927 in Bronx NY
Married December 20, 1969
Died on May 23, 2012, in Stamford CT
curriculum vitae
1941-43 Attended Saint Agnes HS, Manhattan NY
1943-1945 Marist Preparatory, Esopus New York
1945 - 1947 Marist Brothers Novitiate, Poughkeepsie, NY
26 July 1946 Received the religious Habit July 26, 1946
25 July 1947 Professed First Vows on July 26, 1947
1947-1948 Marist Preparatory Esopus NY - cook
1948-1951 Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY - student
1951 BA Degree, Marist College
1951-1958 St. Mary's High School, Manhasset NY teacher
1958-1966 Archbishop Molloy HS, Queens NY_ principal



1966-1967 Second Novitiate, Fribourg, Switzerland
1967 - 1969 St. Helena's HS, Bronx NY - principal
Married to Adrienne 20 December 1969
1969 - 1992 Guidance counselor, Norwalk CT
1992 - 2012 Retired June 1992
23 May 2012 Died Stamford CT
Family photos received from Adrienne Donnelly: click on any thumbnail to
see enlargement .
Memories from Adrienne Donnelly, submitted at request of Rich Foy.
18 June 2012. Gene received two Master Degrees while in the Brothers;
one from St. John's University and one from Iona College. He and I both
went back to school and received Masters in Education from the University
of Bridgeport. (As it worked out, the head of the Education Department at






University of Bridgeport was a Doctor John Kelly. He had also been a
Marist Brother and remembered Gene.)
Gene and I were married on December 20, 1969. We spent most of our
married life in Stamford CT. Gene was a guidance counselor in Norwalk CT
from 1969 until he retired in June 1992. He thoroughly enjoyed his twenty
years of retirement.
Gene and I were blessed with two daughters and ten grandchildren. Gene
loved his family and was happiest surrounded by his loving daughters,
sons-in-law, and grandchildren.
Gene loved to travel and we did. We traveled through most of the United
States, including Hawaii three times and a cruise to Alaska. We also
traveled through all of Western Europe, and the Caribbean. We especially
liked Puerto Rico and spent many vacations there, including a stay with
Denis Murphy while he was teaching at the University of Puerto Rico.
Gene cherished his relationship with the Marist Brothers and was always
grateful to them. He maintained friendships with many of the Brothers,
especially Denis Murphy, Ed McElroy and Bro Richard Rancourt. We
attended many reunions and functions at Marist and Gene enjoyed
receiving any information about the Marist community. He especially
enjoyed reading MaristsAII. Gene always reflected fondly on his years as a
Marist Brother.
Gene died peacefully at home on 23 May 2012, with his family around him.
It was an honor to have been Gene's wife for 42 years. We will all miss
him.
(Editor's note
:
Denis Murphy was best man at the wedding of Gene and Adr
i
enne, and Gene was the best man at
Denis' wedding
.
)
Vignette by Richard Foy. When Gene was cooking in Esopus (1947-1948),
he was outside the mansion when a chauffeured limousine drove up. A tall
dignified gentlemen got out of the back and introduced himself as the
former owner of the property, who was passing by and hoped to visit the
place. Gene invited him inside, but he demurred, saying he was pressed
for time.
The gentleman was Harry Payne Bingham, nephew of Oliver Hazzard
Payne, who had inherited the Esopus estate when Payne died. He owned
the estate from 1917 until he donated it to the Protestant Episcopal Church
of New York in 1933. The church instituted Wiltwyck School on the west



side of route 9W, and attempted to operate the mansion and English village
as a convalescent home for New York City poor. The convalescent home
attempt did not work out, and the property east of route 9W remained
vacant from 1938 until the Marist Brothers began the Juniorate in Summer
1942.
To the best of my knowledge, Gene was the only one among the Brothers
who ever had any personal contact with the Payne family.
Initial version 8 June 2012; revised 28 June 2012 still under construction