Jean T. (Varnerin) Donahue of Milton passed away on December 21, 2025 at the age 94 after a period of declining health.

She was the daughter of the late Lawrence and Josephine (Nangeroni) Varnerin. Jean was born at home in Boston, and was a graduate of the Jeremiah E. Burke High School. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics from Emmanuel College. She moved to Milton with her family while in college, where she met her brother’s M.I.T. classmate, Joseph M. Donahue, whom she married in 1952 at St Mary of the Hills Church. They raised their six children in Milton: Virginia M. King (John Paul) and Joseph M. Donahue Jr. (Erika) of Milton, Martha D. Callaway (Michael) and Maria D. Murphy (Timothy) of Springfield, VA, Robert A. Donahue (Maureen deceased) of Plympton, MA, and Lawrence J. Donahue (Shannon) of Hopkinton, NH. Jean was known as “Noni” to her seventeen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren who gave her great joy.

Although Jean never worked outside the home, she was the office manager of her husband’s dental practice for many years. Jean and Joe loved working together until his death in 1995. Jean was a woman of great faith, and a daily communicant at St. Elizabeth Church for decades. She was a member of the choir at St. Elizabeth’s, where she was also a Eucharistic Minister, a lector, and taught in the faith formation program. Passing on her faith to the following generations was important to her.

We are grateful and give thanks to the staff and residents of the Elizabeth Seton Residence where Mom was lovingly cared for in her last few years.

While we mourn her exit from this world, we are filled with joy that Mom will be eternally with God, spending Christmas face to face with Jesus, and in the embrace of her husband, parents, and her grandson Jimmy once again.

Visiting hours are at the Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, EAST MILTON SQUARE, Thursday January 1, 2026 from 4 - 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St Elizabeth Church of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish, 350 Reedsdale Road, Milton at 11:30 a.m. on Friday January 2, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Elizabeth Church of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish
https://www.visitationmilton.org/donate,
Elizabeth Seton Residence
https://www.elizabethseton.org/donate/, or
Emmanuel College https://www.emmanuel.edu/information/alumni-friends/giving/make-gift.