Obituary of John F. Donnelly

John F. Donnelly, 86, of Merrick, New York, peacefully passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2015 at his home surrounded by his wife and family. A Funeral Mass, celebrating his life, will be held in his honor at Sacred Heart Church, 720 Merrick Avenue, North Merrick NY on Wednesday, December 2nd at 9:45 am. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9pm at N.F. Walker, Inc. Funeral Home 2039 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, New York on Tuesday, December 1st. Interment at Calverton National Cemetery. John is survived by his wife, Joan, sons John (Lois), Gerald (Doreen), Steven (Kelli) and Kenneth (Shannon); his grandchildren Lauren, Matthew, Steven (Stephanie), Marissa, Kellyann, Regan, Kaitlyn, Cameron, Patrick, Susan and Sean and his sister, Margaret Carter. John's love and devotion to his family and service to the FDNY served as the guiding principles in his life. His love affair with the New York City Fire Department spanned 27 years, included the boroughs of the Bronx (82 Engine, 31 Truck), Queens (162 Truck) and Brooklyn (276 Engine) where he concluded his FDNY service as Lieutenant. Memorial donations can be made to: Uniformed Firefighters Association, c/o The UFA Widow's and Children's Fund at 204 East 23rd Street, NYNY 10010 www.ufanyc.org and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) at www.alzfdn.org