Obituary of John R. Donnelly
South Plainfield – John R. Donnelly, 90, died Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at JFK Medical Center in Edison.
Born in Elizabeth, PA to the late John and Martha Lee (Stillwagon) Donnelly, John was the middle child of three. He was raised in Clairton. PA. At the age of 12, John began a long and adventurous life, serving as a page boy in the United States Congress for both Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. At 18, John enlisted in the United States Navy and served during the Korean War as an engineman aboard the submarines, USS Requin, Blenny and Caiman. John traveled the world by land, air and sea, which brought him to South Plainfield, NJ in 1957. There he met the love of his life and late wife, Helen Gatson at Hadley Airport where they were both pilots. They married in 1958. John drove one of the first electric vehicles and raced stock cars in the mid-Atlantic region.
John and Helen raised their three children in South Plainfield where he coached Little league and was a member of the Rotary. John was also a proud member of the American Legion and Sacred Heart RC Church. He owned and operated Belmont Associates for more than 20 years, before retiring.
Proudest of his children and grandchildren, John enjoyed sharing in their successes and could be found on the sidelines of their Football, softball, baseball and soccer games, rain or shine. He took up Racquetball in his 60's and became a Golden Master. He loved to watch and feed the deer that visited him every day.
Predeceased by his beloved wife of 59 years, Helen Donnelly; John is survived by his children; John Donnelly (Eva) of SC, Peter Donnelly (Nina) of VA, and Dawn Hutchison (Ronald) of South Plainfield; grandchildren, Christen, John, Joshua, Jacob, Gustavo (Mary), Lydia (Cali) and Tabitha (Jason), Ryan, Sean, Lauren and great grandchildren Liam, Jaelyn, Jacob, Christian, Serenity, Easton, and Bentley.
He will also be missed by his sister, Martha Jane Gillespee; brother, William and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 9:30AM in the McCriskin – Gustafson Home For Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield NJ 07080 followed by a funeral mass in Sacred Heart RC Church at 10:30AM.
Burial will follow in Holy Redeemer Cemetery, South Plainfield.
Family and friends may gather in the funeral home on Monday, March 1, 2021 from 4-8PM.
During this ongoing pandemic, according to Executive Orders and the CDC guidelines, we kindly ask that face masks must be worn while visiting, to be mindful of physical distancing to the best of your ability, and are asking visitors to minimize time spent indoors to allow everyone a chance to pay their respects. We thank you for your understanding and for taking these precautions during this difficult time.