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 Susan E. Donelan, Ph.D.
October 01, 2006
Susan E. Donelan, Ph.D., 51, of Wayand, died Sunday at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston following a three-year battle with inflammatory breast cancer.
Born in Dorchester on June 11, 1955, daughter of William and Norma Wolf Donelan, she attended Williamstown Elementary School and graduated from Mount Greylock Regional High School with the class of 1973.
She received her bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in elementary education and sociology with a minor in psychology from the former North Adams State College in 1977. She also received her master's degree in sociology in 1979 and her doctoral degree in higher education administration in 1997 from Boston College.
She was employed as a faculty member at Bay State Junior College in Boston. While at Bay State Junior College, she achieved the position of dean of students in 1983 and then Academic Dean from 1984 to 1986. She continued her career as associate director of the Alumni Association at Boston College from 1986 until 1987. From 1987 until present, she served as assistant dean for administration at the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College in Chestnut Hill.
She enjoyed the beach, hiking, walking, swimming and all outdoor activities. Among her many interests were reading, music, traveling and taking outings with her family. She led numerous metastatic breast cancer support groups, and was very active in community service projects and organizations.
Besides her husband of 14 years, James E. Boggs of Wayland, and her parents of Fort Myers, Fla., formerly of Williamstown, she leaves a stepson, Justin R. Boggs of Rochester, N.Y.; two sisters, Kathleen Donelan of Adams and Patricia Fortier of Washington; and five brothers, William Donelan of Sanford, Fla., David Donelan of Canterbury, N.H., Thomas Donelan of Boston, Robert Donelan of Atlanta, and James Donelan of Spokane, Wash.
FUNERAL NOTICE -- Private family services for Susan E. Donelan, who died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, will be held at the John C. Bryant Funeral Home in Wayland, Mass. today. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to the "Susan E. Donelan Scholarship Fund" at the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass., or the "Friends Boutique" of Dana Farber Cancer Institute at 44 Binney Street Boston, Mass., for those who have an urgent need to contribute.
A "Celebration of Life in Honor of Susan" will be held at a later date at Saint Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill, with a reception following for her extended families: all relatives, Boston College family, Metastatic Breast Cancer Support Group family, Dana Farber Cancer Institute family, Brigham and Women's family, and her "bonus" family, which includes all of her family, friends and associates.
The family at present is developing the following future opportunities, to be determined, that would be in direct support of: 1) a research fund for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC); 2) an educational initiative that provides information to the daughters, sisters, mothers, etc. (including the medical community) of the "Silent Killer" (IBC); and 3) a social work research initiative in support of metastatic breast cancer patients through their journey. All of the above will be supported through the generous donations provided through the "Celebration of Life in Honor of Susan Ellen Donelan." Susan was a remarkable young woman with a wonderful and amazing spirit to live life to its fullest.
Her favorite quote by Souza, by which she lived and shared with everyone was "DANCE as though no one is watching you, LOVE as though you have never been hurt before, SING as though no one can hear you, LIVE as though heaven is on earth." Susan and her husband made over 2,200 "refrigerator magnets" with this quote and provided them to those who helped and assisted them in her journey with her diagnosis and treatment. She will be remembered for the happiness and love that she shared with all who touched her life. She leaves a stepdaughter-in-law, Katherine; two brothers-in-law, Steve and Jay; and two sisters-in-law, Michele and MaryBeth.
She also leaves 13 nieces and nephews, and was the aunt of the late Adam J. Fortier.
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