Constance Margaret Donaldson

In January of 1936, Constance Margaret Parent entered the world. She was born to Edward and Ingar Marie (Petrain) Parent of Newton MA and she had 2 brothers, Edward and Peter.

Connie met the love of her life, Edward (Deano) Donaldson at the young age of 16. Deano was in the Air Force and would have to leave for months at a time which was very difficult for Connie, but she hung in there, and the couple were married in 1956. They lived in Fairbanks Alaska, where Deano was stationed, when their first child Steven (Steve) was born in 1957.

Connie and Deano relocated to Newton, MA in 1958 and in 1959 their second child Laura (Lori) came along, followed by Edward (Tad) in 1963 and Elizabeth (Liz) in 1969.

In 1970, they bought a beautiful antique house built in the 1700’s and relocated their family to Duxbury, MA. There was a huge barn on the property, so while Connie was redecorating and making a new home to raise their family, Deano was filling up the barn with animals. This was no disappointment to the kids since their previous home had been in a more urban area where there weren’t as many farms to see. Connie was also an animal lover, known for bringing home strays. She must have loved them to take on the daily task of shooing barn animals out of her kitchen or bathtub! Here on 1372 Tremont St., they would make their home, raise their kids, grandkids and any other soul that needed nurturing, for the next 30 years. There were countless treasured memories made in that home …. A timeless gift that can never go away!

Connie kept quite busy raising 4 kids, teaching at a nursery school and generally being hostess to people that would stop by for a visit at any given time. Connie loved to cook and also loved a clean and organized house so there was a lot of prepping and cleaning going on, but there was also a lot of fun and laughter! Connie and Deano loved their music and dancing, so often times the table and chairs would be moved to the side of the room so they could dance in the kitchen to a favorite song that was playing on the radio.

The joy and the love were almost tangible. Connie had many gifts. She wrote beautiful poetry and was an incredible seamstress. She made baby clothes for a local shop, Halloween and school play costumes for her kids and grandkids, and gorgeous window treatments.

When Connie felt her kids were old enough to watch after themselves, she went to work in the Administrative Offices at Boston University where her good friend was Dean of the School of Engineering. Here she would help hundreds of students make it to graduation. When she retired from BU, she worked part time at the Studio in Duxbury and ran her own custom curtain business. When the kids were grown and it was time to downsize, Connie and Deano sold the house in Duxbury and moved to a more manageable house in Barnstable on Cape Cod. They became active in various clubs in the community and made many new and dear friends.

Connie and her family spent many of their summers at the family beach house in Gloucester which was originally owned by Connie’s grandparents. It was the season that parents, grandparents, siblings, kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins spent together, and lasting memories were made over the years…..Good Harbor Beach, cookouts, lobster bakes and campfires in the back yard just to name a few.

Sadly, in 2004, Deano passed away after a long illness. This was a very sad time for Connie and her kids, but she had a strong network of friends and family who wanted to help ease her pain. In that dark time, her friend Ernie Incorvati was a great support after going through a similar loss with his wife and love of his life. They were there for each other, loved spending time together and the relationship grew into a deeper love, and they were married in 2012. Ernie also had a house in Barnstable in the same neighborhood as Connie, so they decided to live in his home before relocating to The Villages in FL

Connie loved The Villages and the 10+ years she had there with Ernie. Before her health issues started, their calendars were packed with plans and engagements… parties, pickleball, golf, live music, swimming, dinner with the large number of friends they had in the community. They were always up to something!

It’s tough to summarize 87 years of a wonderful life! Connie added so much beauty to this world and she will be sorely missed. Below is a poem she wrote in August of 2005. It’s hard not to wonder if she knew then how comforting it would be to others when it became her time to go.

What If?

by Connie Donaldson

What if we knew then,

What we know now?

Would we then alter the why, the who and the how?

We might ask all the questions,

With answers too painful to hear

Perhaps we would go along,

Just living, from year to year

How many times have you heard the phrase,

“If I knew then what I know now?”

As we hold on to happier days,

Let us marvel at the why and how

We are all upon a journey,

For each of us unique

And know what it is we seek

There are no guarantees,

We know this to be true

Life moves on,

We live, we love,

And do what we must do

And when all is said and done,

And our life on earth is through,

Our comfort is found in knowing,

That we did what we thought to be true.