Lorraine Donaghey

Mrs. Lorraine Lorretta Hamel Donaghey passed away peacefully on Friday, February 17, 2017 at Windham Terrace in Windham, NH following a lengthy illness. Born on March 29, 1927, Lorraine was the daughter of the late Urbain Hamel and Blanche Charest Hamel. Lorraine was an employee of Raytheon in Andover, MA for over 25 years before retiring in 1992. She moved from Lawrence, MA to Salem, NH after her retirement and became an active member of her local senior center where she developed new friendships and participated in a variety of activities including her favorite hobbies: painting, travel, and dancing.

She was known for her wit, humor, kindness, generous nature, and for her feisty spirit. She was a devoted caregiver to many of her aging friends and family members and maintained a positive, upbeat attitude throughout her life; she could often be heard humming a happy tune to herself as she went about her day. Lorraine was a talented seamstress, a gifted gardener, and a celebrated cook. Her stuffed grape leaves and mini-cheesecakes were second to none. She had a passion for crafts and for creating and collecting dollhouse miniatures. She had a soft spot for feral cats and for the birds who visited her garden, and she fed them all faithfully each and every day.

Lorraine was preceded in death by her loving husband of more than 30 years, Robert Edward Donaghey, and her beloved son, Neil Edward Donaghey. She lived a full and beautiful life on her own terms and will forever be cherished by those she leaves behind. She is survived by her eldest son, Wayne Robert Donaghey of Derry, NH; sister Estelle O'Donnell of Salem, NH; sister Irene Lemieux of Methuen, MA; sister Paulette Burgess and her husband Donald of Derry, NH; sister Pauline Guay and her husband William of Haverhill, MA; sister Bernadette Ambrose of Cherry Hill, NJ; brother Ronald Hamel of Myrtle Beach, SC; brother Albert Hamel of Methuen, MA; and daughter-in-law Sharon Donaghey of Derry, NH.

She also leaves behind five loving grandchildren, Dianna Donaghey Coppolo and husband Stephen of Derry, NH; Amanda Donaghey of Raymond, NH; William Donaghey of Londonderry, NH; Bobbi Donaghey of Raymond, NH; and Colleen Donaghey Sawlan and husband Stanley of Londonderry, NH. She was great-grandmother to Tyler Donaghey, Devlin Donaghey, Madeleine Coppolo, Trudy Donaghey, Matthew Donaghey, Avery Coppolo, and Amber Lorraine Sawlan.

There are no services scheduled at this time. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Lorraine are encouraged to make a small contribution to the Alzheimer's Association or the American Diabetes Association in her honor.