Madge Mc Caffrey Donnellan

Madge Carleton McCaffrey Donnellan died January 11, 2017 at her home following a courageous long term struggle with multiple myeloma. She was surrounded by her immediate family, her husband and caregiver Don, her daughters Maura Bradshaw, Molly Donnellan, Kate Molendijk, her son Donald Donnellan, along with her daughter in law Kathleen Donnellan and her son in law Michael Bradshaw.

Born April 16, 1937 to Francis Bernard McCaffrey and Mary Boyle McCaffrey, Madge grew up in Manhasset, NY, graduating from St. Mary’s High School in 1955. She attended Saint Francis School of Nursing in Poughkeepsie, NY, received her RN and returned to Manhasset and began working at North Shore Hospital.

She met her future husband, Donald Michael Donnellan at the wedding of her nursing school classmate, Joan Griffin; Madge was the maid of honor and Don was the best man. She caught the bouquet and he caught the garter. They were married September 5, 1959, and moved to Binghamton, NY, where Don was attending Harpur College. Madge continued to work as a nurse until the first of their four children was born, and Madge became a full time stay at home Mom, cook, baker, seamstress, chauffeur, volunteer Girl Scout leader and sports cheerleader.

In addition to her Mom duties, Madge returned to school and received both her BS and MS in Nursing at the State University of New York, Buffalo. When the family moved to Knoxville, TN, Madge joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and taught there through 1987. Madge also received her PhD from UT. When she and Don moved to Atlanta, she joined the faculty at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University and taught there until 2010.

Madge loved her husband, her children and grandchildren, dark chocolate, baking, knitting, and pugs. She was a teacher at heart, long before she ever became a professor. Madge taught her children to read, cook, and knit; she even taught Donald how to punch a boy who was bullying him (it worked). She was a lifelong learner and passed that on to her children. She touched hundreds of students and thousands of patients throughout her nursing and teaching career. She will live on in the memories of her family, colleagues and students. And her presence will live on every day in the making of meals, reading of books, baking of cookies, raising of children, knitting of all the things, and wonder and love of all the beauty in the world.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Donald Michael Donnellan; daughter Maura Bradshaw (Michael); daughter Molly Donnellan; son Donald Donnellan (Kathleen); daughter Kate Molendijk (Michael); grandchildren Christian Elvey, Michael Donnellan, Maggie Donnellan, Henry Molendijk and Amelia Molendijk; brother Frank McCaffrey (Rita) and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday March 18, 2017 at:

H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel

173 Allen Road

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

404-851-9900

www.hmpattersonarlington.com

The family will receive friends before the service beginning at 1PM. A reception will follow the service at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center. Additional details will be provided on this site.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts in Madge’s memory be directed to:

International Myeloma Foundation – www.myeloma.org

Winship Cancer Institute - https://winshipcancer.emory.edu