1950
James
2021
James "Jim" W. Donnelly
February 16, 1950 — December 5, 2021
James "Jim" Donnelly Obituary
James William Donnelly, better known as Jim, or Papa to his three amazing grandchildren, passed away unexpectedly of cardiac arrest on December 5, 2021. Jim was born in Somerville, MA in 1950, to the late James Paul Donnelly and Mary (Aspell) Donnelly. He grew up in Somerville in a house with four siblings and several other relatives in a neighborhood filled with children. He met the love of his life, Judy (Franzosa) Donnelly, near the Tufts University campus in Medford, MA, where they bonded immediately over their love of the Boston Bruins. The two were married during a blizzard at the Tufts University Chapel in 1972. They were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this February. In addition to his wife, Judy, Jim is survived by his children and their spouses: Sarah Donnelly and Ron Fertig of Princeton, NJ; Katie Donnelly and Albert Yee of Philadelphia, PA; Matthew and Stephanie Donnelly of Smithfield, RI; and three grandchildren, Hannah, Isaac, and Eva; as well as four siblings, an aunt, and many nieces and nephews.
Jim moved to Willimantic in 1975 with Judy to attend graduate school at UCONN after graduating from UMASS Boston with a degree in psychology. He received master's degrees in psychology and communications and a Ph.D. in communications from UCONN. He worked as a researcher at the UCONN Health Center's Taste and Smell clinic, and then taught psychology at many colleges in the area, including ECSU and UCONN Hartford. He lived with his growing family in several Willimantic and Storrs locations, eventually settling in Windham Center where he enjoyed frequenting the Windham Free Library and walking on local trails. He could often be seen with his walking stick doing laps around Shetucket Park. He was also an aficionado of Asian food who loved to experiment with ingredients found perusing the shelves of his favorite Asian grocery.
Jim was enjoying his retirement, and loved nothing more than being an adoring Papa to his three young grandchildren, taking them to playgrounds, watching children's TV and going out to breakfast. He loved sitting in his special chair watching the Red Sox, reading crime stories, and doing crossword puzzles in The Chronicle. He also traveled extensively with Judy, visiting 10 countries on four continents and much of the United States. He always made his family laugh with silly puns and impressions, and amazed them with his extensive trivia knowledge. He was a patient, gentle, and kind soul who will be tremendously missed. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to one of Jim's favorite places, the Windham Free Library. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .
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James William Donnelly, better known as Jim, or Papa to his three amazing grandchildren, passed away unexpectedly of cardiac arrest on December 5, 2021. Jim was born in Somerville, MA in 1950, to the late James Paul Donnelly and Mary (Aspell) Donnelly. He grew up in Somerville in a house with four siblings and several other relatives in a neighborhood filled with children. He met the love of his life, Judy (Franzosa) Donnelly, near the Tufts University campus in Medford, MA, where they bonded immediately over their love of the Boston Bruins. The two were married during a blizzard at the Tufts University Chapel in 1972. They were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this February. In addition to his wife, Judy, Jim is survived by his children and their spouses: Sarah Donnelly and Ron Fertig of Princeton, NJ; Katie Donnelly and Albert Yee of Philadelphia, PA; Matthew and Stephanie Donnelly of Smithfield, RI; and three grandchildren, Hannah, Isaac, and Eva; as well as four siblings, an aunt, and many nieces and nephews.
Jim moved to Willimantic in 1975 with Judy to attend graduate school at UCONN after graduating from UMASS Boston with a degree in psychology. He received master's degrees in psychology and communications and a Ph.D. in communications from UCONN. He worked as a researcher at the UCONN Health Center's Taste and Smell clinic, and then taught psychology at many colleges in the area, including ECSU and UCONN Hartford. He lived with his growing family in several Willimantic and Storrs locations, eventually settling in Windham Center where he enjoyed frequenting the Windham Free Library and walking on local trails. He could often be seen with his walking stick doing laps around Shetucket Park. He was also an aficionado of Asian food who loved to experiment with ingredients found perusing the shelves of his favorite Asian grocery.
Jim was enjoying his retirement, and loved nothing more than being an adoring Papa to his three young grandchildren, taking them to playgrounds, watching children's TV and going out to breakfast. He loved sitting in his special chair watching the Red Sox, reading crime stories, and doing crossword puzzles in The Chronicle. He also traveled extensively with Judy, visiting 10 countries on four continents and much of the United States. He always made his family laugh with silly puns and impressions, and amazed them with his extensive trivia knowledge. He was a patient, gentle, and kind soul who will be tremendously missed. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to one of Jim's favorite places, the Windham Free Library. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of James "Jim" W. Donnelly, please visit our floral store.
Read More
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James "Jim" W. Donnelly, please visit our flower store.
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