James C. O'Donoghue

1938 - 2021

James C. O'Donoghue
April 29, 1938 - October 10, 2021
On Sunday, October 10th, 2021, James (Jim) Cornelius O'Donoghue of Westport, CT, passed away after 83 wonderful years on this earth. He left his mark as a son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. He will be dearly missed.
Jim was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 29th, 1938. Following the tragic death of his father at a young age, Jim and his family moved to Cork. He was the captain of the rugby team at University College Cork where he earned a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and met the love of his life Margaret with whom he had three children. Working for Quigley, steel refractories, Jim travelled extensively bringing his daughters carefully selected mementos from all over the world. When the company was bought by Pfizer, the family moved to Westport, CT in 1984 where they made many great friends.
A hardworking, dedicated and generous man, Jim was a great athlete who ran regularly, golfed and rowed. He loved fishing, especially on Waterville Lake. He was wonderful historian and a great conversationalist and, to the delight of his children and grandchildren, a gripping storyteller. Dinner was always punctuated with discussions on politics and the latest news as well as funny anecdotes about travels and past experiences. Jim has written several books, including children's stories, and read avidly until his very last days. His was a particular fan of the Russian classics and spy novels. He would have loved the latest James Bond.
Jim is survived by his loving wife Margaret with whom he spent a remarkable 58 years. He also leaves behind his brother Neil, sister Anne, three daughters, Elma, Sharon and Lisa and their husbands Dan, Jack and Ilari, respectively, and grandchildren Ryan, Ciara, Maija and Sophie. Join Margaret and the family for a viewing and farewell at Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, Westport, CT, on Sunday October 17th (3-6 pm). Mass will be held at St. Luke church also in Westport at 49 Turkey Hill North, on Monday the 18th at 11 a.m. Services will be live streamed at https://www.saintlukewestport.org/copy-of-live-stream-mass. Memorial Contributions in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org or the American Parkinson's Disease Association at www.apdaparkinson.org