DECLAN JOSEPH O'CONNELL

O'CONNELL, Declan Joseph After ten years of making the world a better and more loving place, Declan Joseph O'Connell was called Home on February 24, 2017. He was and will always be the truest love of his father, Thomas, his mother, Lara, his wonderful sister Maeve, and his happily uncontrollable brothers Keegan and Aedan. They brought each other the mutual joy that only the greatest of loves can bring.

Declan's life was full of beauty and an appreciation for the preciousness of the human condition. He met the challenges of life with a smile and a hearty laugh that left the reality of his diagnosis as an afterthought. Above all else, the O'Connells just wanted to be the O'Connells, so Declan did not live in a bell jar-he first swam in the cold waters of the Aran Islands and welcomed his siblings as the big brother of which Maeve was so proud.

Declan was born on October 7, 2006, a beautiful Saturday, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He and his family shared many special memories at the first family home in Arlington and then in the home Declan chose for them in Lexington, a home where the door is open to anyone at any time.

When he was three, Declan began attending the Cotting School in Lexington, a magical place where positive attitudes, dedication, and incredible professional abilities weave together the different abilities of those who attend and prosper. It was there where his parents first knew he could be safe beyond their arms. But he was more than safe; he thrived and met a great many friends, the most special of which will always be Miss Claudia, his amoreuse. The mere mention of her name triggered a smile and a gasp that could be outdone only by his love for his dear Grandma or Mamo, whose souls were likewise pierced by the beauty of his love.

Declan's smile and laugh were infectious, especially when his father told him the most hilarious jokes in the world, which he always understood. The greatest moments of tenderness, though, were with his mother, who sacrificed without hesitation and fought for him from the moment he was born. Declan's baking spoiled many an appetite, for love will often fill the heart and soul.

Declan is survived by his parents, Thomas and Lara, his sister Maeve, and brothers Aedan and Keegan. He is also survived by the extended MacDonald and O'Connell families, including his loving grandparents Lawrence and Eleanor O'Connell & Joseph and Ann MacDonald, Godparents Paul O'Connell and Shannon MacDonald, and his beloved aunts and uncles Kevin and Leslie, Lawrence and Denise, Denise Mary, Beth, Maureen and Peter, Paul and Mia, Shannon and his beloved Uncle Dan with whom he always shared a special connection. Together, they now watch over us. He is also survived by nearly countless cousins, friends, and beloved caregivers, who were more than friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to pay their final respects on Friday, March 3, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, at St. Brigid's Church, 1981 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts. Declan will be remembered as he was in life. There will be no viewing. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 am on Saturday March 4 also at St. Brigid's Church Lexington, followed by interment at Westview Cemetery, Lexington, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made in Declan's memory to the Cotting School of Lexington, Massachusetts: https://www.cotting.org/declan/. Lexington 781-862-7323

www.douglassfh.com