MARY S DONOVAN

Mary Sarah (Melingagio) Donovan

 of Fort Myers, Florida and formerly Bridgeville, Delaware                                         in Port Charlotte, Florida.

7/ 6/2021

She was born on December 8, 1922 in Omaha, Nebraska to Paul and Josephine (Gagliolo) Melingagio. She graduated from Technical High School in 1940 then worked at Merchant Bakeries and Boys Town while helping her mother care for her ill father.

August 27, 1950 she wed and becoming a  military wife, making a home for the family at the many bases where they were stationed during his 20 year career among them Warren AFB, Wyoming, Richards Gabauer AFB, Missouri and Tyndall AFB, FL. as well as while her husband was deployed to Korea and Vietnam and many other areas as part of OSI duties.

After moving to Omaha, Nebraska and Denison, Iowa they then settlled in Bridgeville, Delaware where they became proprioters of Donovan’s Grocery.

She and her husband enjoyed traveling the US and Canada but spending time with family members was her greatest joy. Her husband was so proud of her cooking and baking skills that he loved to invite guests to dinner or gift her cakes to many friends.

They were active members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Seaford, contributing their time helping with dinners and bazaars as well as their financial support for the building of the church hall.

She was her husband’s caregiver until his death from complications of Lewey Bodies Dementia. She then spent time winters with her granddaughter’s family in Gainesville, Florida then lived in Fort Myers, Florida for the last 10 years.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Robert E. Donovan, Sr. Capt. (retired) USAF, brothers Joseph Melingagio, (Mary), Sebastian Melingagio (Agnes) and niece Jean Pisci all of Omaha. She is survived by her daughter Patricia Moore and son-in-law Benjamin of Fort Myers, Florida and Bridgeville, Delaware, her son Robert E. Donovan, Jr. and his wife Barbara Weingard of Goldsboro, Maryland, granddaughter Melissa and her husband Dr. Benjamin O’Neal, great-grandchildren Emily and Maxwell of Port Charlotte, Florida, sisters-in-law Jeannette Hastings and Betty Masten of Seaford, Delaware, niece Patricia Fitl, nephew Ross Pisci and many grand nieces and nephews of Omaha, Nebraska.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, July 14th at 11 AM at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 532 E. Stein Hwy, Seaford.  Friends may call at the Cranston Funeral Home, 300 N. Shipley St, Seaford on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8.  Burial will be in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Millsboro, DE.

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