Lenora, or Cotton as she was known to friends, passed peacefully on January 12, 2022. She was the beloved wife of William B. O'Donnell who predeceased her in 1977. She is survived by her loving daughters, Karen Ann O'Donnell of North Reading and Kathryn Marie Byrne and her husband Christopher of Holliston. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
Lenora was born in De Queen Arkansas and grew up in Sherman Texas, the daughter of the late Martha (Long) and Orville Ray Looney. She is predeceased by her six siblings.
Lenora later moved to Washington DC, where she graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School. She worked in Washington DC where she met her husband, Bill O'Donnell. She made the move to Boston and was employed at John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance, and married Bill in 1957. The couple settled in Jamaica Plain and Lenora spent her time raising her two daughters, enjoying the Public Gardens, City Point beaches and Jamaica Pond, and in 1968 the family moved to Medfield. Lenora worked for the Town of Medfield in the cafeteria at the Dale St. school until her retirement in 1997.
After retirement she volunteered at the Medfield Senior Center to assist with the Meals on Wheels program and as a companion to other seniors. She loved volunteering at The Center, and the people who came through the doors and the activities she was involved in provided her with immense happiness. She picked up bocce ball and became quite a competitor!
Lenora’s grace and strength and her kind, generous spirit has been an inspiration to her family and friends.
Relatives and friends are invited to Roberts Mitchell Caruso Funeral Home on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 from 10:00am to 12:00 pm. A memorial service at Roberts Mitchell Caruso Funeral Home and private burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to FOSI (Friends of Seniors) at The Center at Medfield, 1 Ice House Road, Medfield MA, 02052 in her memory.