Donna M. Mahoney, Menasha, 92
Donna M. Mahoney, Menasha, age 92, passed away on Tuesday, September 21.
Donna was born October 30, 1928, the daughter of William and Susan (Hauser) Griesbach. She graduated from St. Mary High School in Menasha, where she was Valedictorian of her class. She was a keypunch operator at Marathon Corporation until she married Donald R. Mahoney on October 3, 1953, and began their family.
She was then kept very busy raising their seven children. She was a lifelong member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Menasha. Donna was devoted to praying the rosary and she was a longtime member of the Third Order Secular of St. Francis of Assisi. Donna also took communion to people from the parish who weren’t able to come to mass.
Donna loved music and learned to play the piano as a young girl. Later in life, she followed in her dad’s footsteps, learning to play the organ. She played for the weekday masses and sang in the funeral choir at St. Mary’s for many years. Her love of music was a great comfort to her in the last days of her life.
Donna enjoyed playing the piano and reading. She knitted many afghans, prayer shawls, and dishcloths over the years, which were given with love to her family and those in need. Donna was an avid baker and spoiled her family with all manner of homemade desserts over the years.
Donna is survived by her children: Susan Mahoney, Menasha; Mary (Sean) Murphy, Glendale, WI; Daniel (Carrie) Mahoney, Plover, WI; Ann (Ron) Barbaro, Fairfax, VA; Michael (Amy) Mahoney, Appleton, WI; and Jean (Mike) Shaw, Alexandria, VA; her daughter-in-law Kellie Mahoney, Appleton, WI; her grandchildren Michael (Vanessa) Murphy, Katie (Max) LeMoine, Erin Mahoney, Mark (Dana) Mahoney, Ron Barbaro, Stephanie Barbaro, Sam Mahoney, Hannah Mahoney, Kelsey Shaw, Matthew Shaw and Claire Shaw; and great-grandchildren Madelyn Mahoney and Nora Mahoney. She is also survived by her sister Virginia Swichtenberg, and her sisters-in-law Mary Griesbach and Mickey Reed, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Donald, her son Timothy, her brothers Marc, Norman, William, Robert and Donald, her sister Sr. Mary Donna Griesbach SSND, her brothers-in-law Donald Swichtenberg and James Mahoney and sisters-in-law Katie Griesbach, Joan Griesbach, Mary Lou Griesbach, Sally Griesbach, Donna Cotter, and Kathy McCarthy.
Donna’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 25, 2021, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 528 2nd St., Menasha, Wis. 54952. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. at the church. Interment will be at 2:30 p.m., St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Menasha.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in Donna’s memory be made to St. Joseph’s Food Program, Menasha, or Compassus Hospice, Neenah.
The family would like to thank Betsy and Daphne of Compassus Hospice for their support and compassion, as well as Michele from Right At Home for her loving care.
