Joanne Eleanor Donohoe

Joanne E. Donohoe (nee Foley) died on July 24, 2023 at the age of 92. Beloved wife of 65 years to the late James W. Donohoe, Sr. Joanne was proudly the youngest of eleven, born in Detroit, Michigan. Daughter of the late Clara Patrice (Fisher) Foley and Daniel Francis Foley. Joanne graduated from St. Frederick High School in Pontiac, MI. She met the love of her life, James W. Donohoe at a co-ed school dance, she at Marygrove College, and he at the University of Detroit. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in music in 1953. Shortly after, she married Jim on June 25, 1955 and began working as an elementary/music teacher in Dearborn. They eventually moved to Dearborn, where they lived for 40+ years. Joanne retired from Jacobson’s in Dearborn as Human Resource Manager in 1992. Nothing made her happier than spoiling friends and family with gifts given in a silver box!

A lifelong and devoted Catholic, she raised her three children attending Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn. She and Jim moved to Northville in 1999, where they attended St. Kenneth's Catholic Community and cherished their lifelong friendship with Fr. Tom Belczak. Besides her strong faith, her passions were playing her cherished piano, quilting, sewing, cross-stitching, needlepoint, Sudoku, collecting oodles of Waterford, everything medical, and travel, including standing at the Arctic Circle in Alaska, noted as her most impactful experience. But more importantly, having cocktail hour with her husband every night at six o’clock. Her focus in life centered on her family—spending weekends, holidays and keeping sacred the Foley family traditions. Nothing gave her more joy than keeping current with her cadre of nieces and nephews - 70 in all - and all their life stories.

Joanne was preceded in death by her parents and her firstborn child, William Edward. She was proudly the last surviving and longest living sibling of eleven: Daniel, Agnes (Tom) Callan, Mary (Jack) Beyer, Jim (Mary), Raymond (Eileen), Dominic (Polly), Leo (Margaret), Robert (Virginia), William, Pat Foley (sister-in-law), Eileen (Jim) Collins. Left behind to cherish her memory are her sister-in-laws, Virginia Foley and Pat Foley, as well as Donna (Jim) Onstott and extended Martin/Doonan family in LaGrange, IL. Loving mother to three children - Marilyn (Craig) Piper, James W. Donohoe, Jr, Kathleen (Bruce) Rylance and her eight wonderful grandchildren - Erin (Jack) Birdsall, Delaney Piper (Ames Fowler), Emily (Jason) Chapman, MP Piper, Cameron Piper, Sarah Donohoe, William Rylance, and Mary Rylance.

Funeral mass will be held at St. Kenneth Catholic Community, in Plymouth. Burial, immediately following will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Milford, alongside her husband, Jim, and many of her siblings and family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Angela’s Hospice, Livonia in honor of Joanne.

https://angelahospice.org/donate

The link to watch the service online can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVT6BrD7Z-Y

Guests can also search “Joanne Donohoe funeral service” on YouTube the day of the service, Saturday, August 5, 2023. Guests will be able to playback and watch the service for up to 3 months with this link.