- December 4, 2025
It is with heavy hearts and great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Irene “Renee” Joan Donaghy (née Fleming) of Flagler Beach, Florida, who left this earthly realm on July 2, 2025. She lived a beautiful life filled with over 90 years of family, friends, travel, adventure, and endless love and laughter.
Renee was born on August 9, 1934, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Emily (Novosel) and John Fleming. Growing up in the “city of brotherly love,” she developed a passion for singing, dancing, and acting in her high school plays and musicals. Her voice graced the choir at St. Malachy’s Church, and in 1952, she proudly graduated from the first all-girls Catholic high school in the country, John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School.
After graduation, Renee worked as a private secretary, biller/receptionist, and telephone operator. It was during this time that she fell in love with Thomas “Tom” Joseph Donaghy. When Tom asked for her parents’ blessing to marry Renee, her mother asked what he was going to do for her daughter. Tom promised he would take her around the world — and he was true to his word. They married in January 1957 at St. Veronica’s Church in Philadelphia and began a life together filled with shared experiences that would last for 67 years. They traveled extensively, with very few places that they did not visit; their favorite destinations were Hawaii, Australia, and their ancestral home of Ireland.
The couple started their married life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then moved to Center City, New Jersey, followed by Bel Air, Maryland, and eventually they settled down in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, all while growing their family and raising four children. Renee was the heart of the Donaghy household, and her kitchen and dining room table were where everyone would gather for delicious dinners, holiday celebrations, birthdays, bridal and baby showers, family reunions, and even an occasional wedding or two. She had a remarkable gift for cooking and making everyone feel welcome and loved around her table. Her homemade potato salad, rice pudding, and Kahlua beans were legendary. She happily shared her recipes, but no one could recreate that special “extra touch” she always added to each dish that made it perfect: her LOVE.
When their children finished school, Tom retired and took on consulting work, which sent them to Illinois, New Jersey, and Alabama. In 1988, they moved to their own personal “paradise” — Flagler Beach, Florida — where they continued to open their home to family and friends, creating new memories and traditions. Even though many relatives lived in the Northeast, their Flagler Beach home became a hub for holiday celebrations, and over the years, more children and grandchildren joined them in Florida. Renee’s heart was fullest when she could pass down to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren her love for family gatherings, an appreciation for good food, and an embrace of life’s joyful moments; these are all a part of her legacy.
Renee took great pleasure in entertaining, boating, traveling, and socializing, but what she valued most was simply being with Tom. Their allegiance and affection for each other was obvious to anyone who met them. They truly were inseparable; their love and commitment to each other served as an inspiration to their family and community.
Renee was a faithful member of Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church and gave her time generously to community organizations. She was a founding member and former Treasurer of the Flagler Beach Yacht Club, and a former member of the Facawee Boat Club, Crescent Yacht Club, Bodkin Yacht Club, and the Galley Slaves. Renee had a way of making friends wherever she went, and her warm, welcoming spirit left a mark on countless people over the years.
Renee’s life will always be cherished and remembered well by her children: Thomas Donaghy Jr. of Flagler Beach, FL; Kathleen Donaghy of Palm Coast, FL; Sharon Kochenour of Palm Coast, FL; and Michael Donaghy and his wife, Cinda, of York, PA. She is also survived by her seven grandchildren: Justin (Katelynn), Tiffany, Caitlin, Brendan (Marissa), Dylan (Danette), Daniel, and Devin (Edgar); and her three great-grandchildren: Riley, Reef, and Finnegan. She leaves behind sisters-in-law Joanne (Robert), Carmella (Richard), and Pat (Richard), as well as many well-loved nieces, nephews, relatives, and dear friends.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband Tom (11/20/2024), her parents Emily and John, her brothers John (Lorraine), Robert, and Richard, and her sister Isabel (Clement). While her family will deeply miss her vital persona and engaging presence, we find comfort in knowing she is reunited again with our father, her beloved Tom.
A Mass will be held Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, 915 N. Central Ave, Flagler Beach, FL 32136. Renee will be laid to rest beside her husband on July 16 at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 U.S. Highway 1, North Mims, FL 32754, and a Celebration of Life will be held in Surfside Beach, SC, during the family’s annual reunion.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org/donate, Gentiva Hospice, or Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in Flagler Beach.
