Doris May Donnelly of Cary NC passed away on February 1, 2023 after fighting a courageous battle with Cancer. Doris was loved by and cared for until the very end by her husband Bernie Donnelly, whom she was married to for 48 years.
Doris was born in Kingston, New York on March 15, 1954 and lived for much of her adult life in Cary, North Carolina. Doris was a very devoted and responsible daughter. She was preceded in death by her loving parents Julia and Edward Wiltsie, whom she cared for most lovingly throughout their illnesses until their passing. Doris had no other extended family but she considered all her friends family and they felt the same way about her, holding her up and keeping her spirits high throughout her illness.
Doris worked and retired from Nortel as a product manager.
Doris had a special love for animals. She owned two horses in her life, Ben and Delighted. She not only enjoyed riding them for pleasure but she also barrel raced them. She loved cats and talked often about them. There were a few, Moose, Cleo and Patra who passed before her and have been her guardian angels and now Cat (Cheerwine) who she can now be a guardian over.
Doris was athletic. She was often seen on the tennis courts where she was known to have a killer line drive return. Her serve at times wasn’t quite up to par like the time she served a ball and it ended up on the pro shop roof. One of her favorite sayings during play was “Hit it hard or stay home”. She also loved working out at the gym and visiting with all her friends while there. She was often seen just chatting it up with the staff working at the check in counter. In her retirement she took up yoga and also gardening.
One of her “favorite” things to do was to meet up with some friends on Friday nights and play that “stupid card game”. It may be stupid but it kept Doris, Bernie and all her card playing friends in touch with her throughout her illness and all their minds off of worries and filled with laughter for at least a few hours a week.
Doris was a good cook. Probably one of the best Non-Italian lasagna makers out there. She was also knew to make a mean Peach Cobbler. She liked to save money and probably somewhere in her home is the first dollar that she ever made. She was very intelligent and knew EVERYTHING. One just needed to ask.
A Prayer Service will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 2:30 pm at Brown Wynne Funeral Home in Cary, North Carolina. Family will receive friends following the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Doris’s memory to Second Chance Pet Adoptions. Online at secondchancenc.org - click on the Support Us and then follow directions for making a donation in honor or memory of a person. A check can also be mailed to Second Chance Pet Adoptions - 6003 Chapel Hill Road, Suite 133 - Raleigh, N.C. 27607-5148. Please write in the memo “In memory of Doris Donnelly for cat care.”
If you would like to leave a favorite memory / story of Doris or a message of condolence to Bernie, you may do so below within "add a memory".
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