Gloria Mary Brown Donahue
PERU – Gloria Mary Brown Donahue, 90, died at her home on March 31, 2022, and went to be with her Lord and Savior. She was born April 14, 1931, on the Ridge Road in Peru, Maine, the fifth of six children of Ralph Martin Brown and Esther Mary Lidstone Brown.
When all four of her older siblings left home to serve their country during World War II, she became her father’s helper on the farm. She loved working with her dad and his yoke of oxen.
She graduated from Stephens High School, Rumford, in 1949, and on June 26, 1949, she married Howard Elliot Donahue of Peru. They raised their three children in Dixfield; in 1974 they built a new home in Peru, where they lived the rest of their lives.
Gloria worked at Rumford Bank & Trust from 1960-1967; Ethyl Corporation from 1967-71; Stowell MacGregor from 1971-1974; and she retired from Central Maine Power Company in July 1991 with 17 years of service. She and Howard enjoyed traveling in their long retirement.
Gloria sewed most of her children’s clothes during their school years, and she liked to quilt, cross stitch, and refinish furniture. Her grandchildren will always remember her world-class whoopie pies, chocolate cream pies, doughnuts, and needhams. She liked people (an understatement) and entertaining them. In later years, one of her favorite pastimes was 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles.
Gloria attended Peru United Baptist Church for 75 years, and was a member since 1955, including 33 years as treasurer, and 19 years as clerk. She volunteered from 2012 to early 2022 at the Servant’s Heart Food Pantry in Peru, which was founded by her niece Naomi Farrar. She volunteered at Child Evangelism Fellowship of Maine, with 40 years of active service as a volunteer, treasurer, clerk, and active committee member until 2011. She was a charter member of the Peru historical society, and a town ballot clerk.
She is survived by her daughter Gail and husband Jim Belyea of Peru, her son Stephen and his wife Roberta of Dixfield. Also by her grandchildren Karen Roach and Sherry Bradley of Hiawassee, Ga., Joe and Chrissy Roach of Peru, Mary and Kara Roach of Cumberland, Laurie Donahue of Mexico, Maine, Randy Donahue of Denver, Colo., Zachary Donahue of Dixfield, Meghann Donahue and Jim Jasud of Dixfield, Amanda Belyea and Will Watkins of Weare, N.H. Her great-grandchildren include Marley Berry of Peru; Elliot and Sawyer Roach of Cumberland; Trevar Donahue of Durham; Lyndsey Donahue of Lewiston; Sage, Logan, and Addie Donahue of Colorado; Tucker Donahue, Madison Gloria Donahue, and Ava Waugh, all of Dixfield; and Alan and Alex Watkins of Weare, NH. She is survived also by her sister Brenda Swan and Gerald Gordon of Dixfield and Connecticut; her daughter-in-law Christine Lothrop and husband Doug of Dixfield; and many Brown and Donahue nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Howard in 2011; her son Brian (Tuma) in 2016; her grandson Howard in 2018; her siblings Roger Brown and wife Laura, Claudia and husband Clelland Moyer, Zane Brown and wife Ethel, and Edgar Brown, who was killed in the Pacific Theater during World War II; and by Rob Patenaude, father of Trevar and Lyndsey Donahue.
Thanks to Gloria’s caregivers, great-niece Sarah Ferreira, Cathy Hazelton, and Luanne Trenoweth, for their boundless love and compassion in her end-of-life journey. Thank you to grandson Joe and wife Chrissy for always being there for Grammie. Thanks to across-the-road neighbors Nate and Jessica Putnam for being there as needed the last few years (and for all the cabbage soup Gloria loved).
Special thanks to her niece Zandria Giasson, who threw her Aunt Gloria a 90th birthday spectacular, and spent many soothing hours reliving the old days with her.
Thanks to nurse April Smith, home health aide Crystal Robichaud, and chaplain/musician Steve, all of Beacon Hospice. Their professionalism and kindness in Gloria’s last five days will not be forgotten by her family.
Some of Gloria’s final words were “remember the good times”.
Dearest Gloria, to think of you is to smile.
Friends and family are invited to sign the online guest book and share memories with the family at http://www.meaderandson.com.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2022 at the Peru Baptist Church. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery in Dixfield later in the spring. Arrangements are under the direction of the Meader & Son Funeral Home 3 Franklin St Rumford, ME.
Donations in her memory may be made to:
Peru United
Baptist Church or:
Beacon Hospice or:
just honor her by loving your neighbor as yourself