Obituary of Donna Lee O'Leary

Donna Lee Kimball O’Leary passed away peacefully April 15, 2023, at the age of 82.

She was born to Doris Elsie Littlefield Kimball Ward and Donald Plummer Kimball on August 20, 1940 in Belfast, Maine, and was the oldest of five siblings.

She met her true love, Darrell O’Leary, when they were in high school and both working at McLellan's Store in downtown Belfast. They were married in 1961 at St. Francis of Assisi church in Belfast, and shared 53 years of marriage until Darrell’s passing in 2015. 

After graduating near the top of her class from Crosby High School in 1958, Donna attended the nursing program at Maine Medical Center in Portland. She began her career as a Registered Nurse in 1962. Donna worked at Waldo County General Hospital, and was a school nurse for the Belfast school district for many years. She was a local public health nurse, and spent time in the community making home visits for patient care. Later, she worked in the Special Education classroom at Belfast Area High School, and then at a local private medical practice, until she retired.

Donna was a devout Catholic at St. Francis of Assisi church, where she served as an acolyte and volunteer.

Donna dedicated her professional and personal life to caring for others.  She lovingly raised four daughters and spent many days caring for her grandchildren, whom she cherished. Organized and pragmatic, Donna was a pillar of wisdom, advice, and companionship for her family. 

She was creative and clever, once using melted crayons and a walnut shell to shape a miniature fruit basket. She made the best old-fashioned chocolate fudge, toll house cookies, pumpkin muffins, and Christmas gingerbread men; and, along with Darrell, got great pleasure hosting the best annual family reunion picnics.  

Donna loved language and grammar and could tell you how any word was spelled precisely, or its Latin root. She also loved natural science and the beauty and mystery of the world around her. She supported a menagerie of animals through the years. Especially memorable was watching a clump of eggs from the pond change to tadpoles, then grow all the way to tiny perfect toads – all from a very large fish tank in the den.

Donna was predeceased by her parents; husband, Darrell; daughter, Lisa O’Leary; stepfather, Baxter Bailey Ward; sister, Brenda Louise Ward Smith; brother, Baxter Toby Ward; sister-in-law, Hazel O'Leary Marcia and her husband, Donald Marcia; brother-in-law, Laurance Libby; mother-in-law, Ruth Elizabeth Drew O’Leary Higgins and her husband, Arnold Higgins; father-in-law, Ervin Bartlett O’Leary;

Donna is survived by her daughters, Lynne O’Leary Annis and husband, Matthew; Debra O’Leary; Jennifer O’Leary Emerson and husband, Justin;  daughter-in-law, Alison Moore; grandchildren, Zachery and Evan Annis; Graham and Scarlett Peebles; Caiden and Avery Emerson; sister, Dale Kimball Kocot and husband, James; brother, Jeffrey Ward and wife, Donna; brother-in-law and niece, Owen Smith and Kelli Smith Grindle-Stone; sister-in-law, Lynda Ward; brother-in-law, Basil O’Leary and wife, Linda; sister-in-law, Beryl Libby; and many extended family.

The family would like to especially thank the staff at Fort Point – Harbor Hill for supporting Donna and her family through the last year of her illness.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at 11am at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic church in Belfast.  A private interment will take place later in the spring.