Michael Joseph Donahue

Retired Justice of the Holyoke District Court, died Thursday, February 6, 2003 in Holyoke. Born in Holyoke on December 12, 1923, he was the son of the late David I. Donahue and Mary Anne Fitzgerald. He was a graduate of the HHS Class of 1940 and was a World War II U.S. Army veteran. Upon his return, Mike re-enrolled at Mass Aggie and was chairman of the Student Steering Committee, which led the drive at the State House and Beacon Hill to create the University of Massachusetts. Governor Endicott Peabody appointed him to the Holyoke District Court in 1963 where he presided as First Justice until 1989. He was President of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade in 1961. In 1989, he founded and was publisher of the weekly newspaper, Hello, Holyoke. He was a member of the World Judges Association and a Knight of Malta. His wife, the former Adeline L. (O'Neil) died in 1986. He is survived by six children, Michael S. Jr., Adeline "Nina" Donahue-McDonald, Owen B., Anne Carey Voth, Quentin J., and Maria L.P. Burke, 9 grandchildren; a sister, Kathleen Fogarty; four brothers, William, Edward and David and Thomas. A sister, Sister Mary of Fatima, SP and two brothers, John bnd James, predeceased him. The funeral will be held on Monday, February 10 in Holy Cross Church with burial in Calvary Cemetery both in Holyoke. The Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.