Rev. Angelo D’Onofrio

The Rev. Angelo Joseph D'Onofrio, 73, of Plainville, husband of Marie (DeVaux) D'Onofrio, died Dec. 9, 2008, surrounded by his family after a long courageous battle with lung cancer.
He was born Feb. 21, 1935, in Hartford, son of the late Thomas and Frances (Katin) D'Onofrio. He was a graduate of Dominic F. Burns School and Hartford Public High School, and served honorably in the U.S. Air Force for four years during the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts and received his master's degree in Divinity from St. Chad's Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was ordained an Anglican priest. Following his ordination, he served as rector of Anglican and Episcopal parishes in Saskatchewan, Canada; Michigan; and Massachusetts. Prior to his recent retirement, he served for 15 years as rector of St. Margaret's Anglican Church in Conway, N.H. Lovingly referred to as 'Father D' by his parishioners, he was also chaplain at the Memorial Hospital and VNA Hospice Chaplain in North Conway, N.H., for many years. He was also an instrumental figure during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, participating in the historic march from Selma, Alabama, with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living with his family in Zurich, Switzerland, he trained as a Jungian analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute. Art was one of his great passions, and he was a lifelong talented artist and woodcarver. He was a member of the Mount Washington Valley R/C Club and enjoyed building and piloting large-scale R/C model airplanes.
He is survived by his wife of 31 years; five children, Kim and Eric Palm, of Hudson, Mass., Angelique D'Onofrio, of Hartford, Lynn Field, of Plainville, Thomas and Brenda D'Onofrio, of Newington and Jennifer and Christopher Gatto, of Southington; his grandchildren, Jessica, Nicole, Thomas, Logan and Nicholas, and his granddaughter, Judy Alexander, who helped to care for him during the final months of his illness; his two great-grandchildren, Lauren and Jonathan; his sister, Enes Butts, of East Baldwin, Maine, and a brother, Michael Gilbert, of Altus, Okla., as well as several nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends. He was predeceased by his first wife, Judith Law D'Onofrio.
A Mass was held at St. Dominic Church, Southington, on Dec. 12 followed by the burial at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at St. Margaret's Church in Conway, New Hampshire in February. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Attn: Lung Cancer, 538 Preston Ave., P.O. Box 1004, Meriden, CT 06450. The D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield was entrusted with the arrangements.