Ita M. Donahue

Salem, NH- Ita M. (Sullivan) Donahue passed away, Saturday March 28, 2009, surrounded by her friends and family. Ita was born in Lawrence on June 17, 1920 in Lawrence, MA. She was the only daughter of Hannah (O?Connor) and Lawrence J. Sullivan. Ita graduated from St Mary?s High School in Lawrence, and Emmanuel College in Boston. Ita also received a Masters in Education from Salem State College. Starting out as a teacher in Londonderry, NH she soon moved to the Salem School District where she worked for the remainder of her career which spanned 23 years. Besides teaching, she was an assistant principal of the Woodbury School, principal of the Sixth Grade Annex and finally, principal of the Mary Fisk School. Ita retired in 1982. She was particularly proud of starting the Spicket Valley Federal Credit Union which was kept in her desk drawer. It eventually became a thriving credit union for municipal employees and finally merged with the Service Federal Credit Union. She served on the credit union board for many years. Her love of all things Irish took her to Ireland on many trips where she visited with relatives and friends. She was very knowledgeable on Irish history and was particularly intrigued by the voyage of St Brendan to the shores of North America. She frequently put on programs of slides and delighted in attending Irish cultural events here in the States. Actively involved in the Ladies? Ancient Order of the Hibernians (LAOH), she was past treasurer and president. Further, Ita served on the building committee, ran many functions and worked on the St. Patrick?s Day Parade Committee. She was named Irish Woman of the Year in 1990. Ita is survived by her daughter Joan and husband John Griffin of Salem, NH, granddaughter Tara of Portland, ME, cousin Martha Sim of Virginia, cousin Marguerite Holmberg of Worcester and two families of cousins in Ireland: Billy and Nora O?Connor of Kanturk, County Limerick, their three children Liam, Siobhan, and Caitriona; and Mary O?Farrell and her children, Mark, Audrey, Fergal, and Brian of Galway. ARRANGEMENTS: Family and friends may pay their respects on Tuesday, March 31st from 3-8 PM at the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home Inc., 233 Lawrence, St. Methuen. A mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday April 1st at 10:30 AM at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Salem, NH with burial to follow at Pine Grove Cemetery in Salem. Donations can be made either to Dollars for Scholars in Salem, NH (contact John Sytek at the Salem High School, 44 Geremonty Dr, Salem, NH 03079) or Tar Anall of Belfast, Ireland which is a program to bring children from Belfast to the US during the summers. Contact for that program is c/o Jay McManus, 120 George St., Arlington, MA 02174.

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Ita M. Donahue