Jean M Donegan

 JEAN F. DONEGAN

BETHLEHEM. Jean Finger Donegan on July 15, 2018 passed away in her sleep at the Lutheran Home in Southbury, CT. Born on November 30, 1945 in Patchogue, NY she graduated from Patchogue Senior High school in 1954 with the Phi Beta Cappa Award as Valedictorian. She spent her first two college years at Vassar College and finished her undergraduate education at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL Arriving in NYC she worked for Xerox while continuing her education with a BS in Sociology.

She met her husband Tom in 1972 and married in 1975. While living in NYC, both were against becoming commuters or permanently living in Manhattan. They decided to buy a farm property in Bethlehem and ultimately to create, build and then relocate to their permanent home in December 1979. On a trip to Ireland in 1975 Jean remarked “these hills look like Bethlehem.” With that statement their farm became “Irish Hills Farm!” In 1977 Jean completed her MBA at Columbia University and also acquired an “Irish Terrier puppy.” This began her true, consuming lifetime passion of acquiring 8 wonderful dogs, all of whom were rescued from their alternative fates.

Jean was her families “go to individual” when issues arose.  She elected not to begin a career that would require a full time commitment to a company. She was first elected to Bethlehem’s Wet Land’s Commission. When Bethlehem created the position of a new Land Use Coordinator, she was the first person to fill this job. She was honored by Bethlehem for the next 23 years that she filled this position. At the same time she worked in part time positions as Bridgewater’s Zoning Enforcement Officer and eventually for Middlebury in the same capacity.

Jean and Tom in 1993 succeeded in her receiving a permanent US FAA license for “CT 33” a CT licensed airport for both fixed wing and helicopter operations which continues today.

She will be remembered as a person whose sole purpose in life was to help all people whom she came in contact with, both in her official capacities, but also in her personal relations with other people and animals. Irish Hills Farm has been the adopted permanent home for the wonderful dogs that Jean loved and was able to extend their lives.

In addition to her husband, Tom Donegan, she is survived by both an older brother and sister that live in Carolina Shores, North Carolina and numerous nephews, nieces and grand nephews and nieces, and finally her last “rescue” “Misha,” the abused Airedale mix that only took her the last 14 months to socialize for interactions with her new friends!”

She will always be remembered for her exceptional, always sensitive and caring manner. She will be impossible to replace the wonderful individual that she was. Today she is with the angel’s that surely have opened the door for her in heaven.

In lieu of other donations, a gift may be made to New England Airedale Rescue Inc.

C/o Barbara Curtis, 3 Carter Road, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754.

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