Patrick Francis Donaldson

Patrick Francis Donaldson

11/30/42 – 08/27/22

PUNTA GORDA, FL-Patrick Francis Donaldson passed away on Saturday, August 27, 2022 peacefully in his home in Punta Gorda, FL at the age of 79.  He is survived by his children, John Donaldson (Tiburon, CA), Ryan Donaldson (Princeton, NJ) and 5 siblings, Edward Donaldson (Newark, DE), Jim Donaldson (Phoenix, MD), Georgia Sadler (Rochester, NY), John Donaldson (Port Charlotte, FL) and Mary Donlon (Mumford, NY).

Patrick was born November 30, 1942 in Hornell, NY to George and Theresa Donaldson.  He grew up in Hornell and graduated from Hornell High School after a brief stop-over as a seminarian at St. Ignatius Loyola.  He graduated from Alfred University with a B.S. in Engineering.  He served in the Air National Guard from 1964 to 1969.  In 1967, Patrick married Joan Elizabeth Donaldson (Hornell, NY) and they shared 51 wonderful years together until her passing in 2019.

Pat spent most of his career as Sales and Marketing executive in the food, construction and real estate industries.  He and Joan lived in Chicago and Cleveland before settling in Baltimore in 1977 where they raised their two sons.  Along the way, he fell in love with sailing.  Boat ownership wasn’t enough and in the mid 1980’s he started a sailboat charter business on the Chesapeake Bay.   For years it was a blend of business and pleasure and incredible memories for all involved.

He and Joan retired to Punta Gorda, FL and spent over 20 years embracing SW Florida through hurricanes and sunny days.  Patrick was an avid reader and imparted his love of history onto his sons.  His enthusiasm for cooking did not transfer quite as well.  He was passionate about politics before it was normal for people to be passionate about politics.  He and Joan loved to travel together and never tired of reminiscing about the Greek Isles.  He was incredibly proud of his six grandchildren (Price, Renny, Griffin, Jack, Tate and Lucy).  He was solely devoted to his wife and he struggled when she left him too early.   He will be remembered by his friends and family as devoted, kind-hearted, smart and unafraid to occasionally ruffle some feathers.  He will be missed.

There will be no calling hours. Relatives and friends are invited to join his family at St. Ann’s Church, 31 Erie Ave., Hornell where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in his memory at 10 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 24, 2022). Committal prayers and interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Town of Fremont.

The Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home, 285 Main St., Hornell is honored to assist Pat’s family with the arrangements.

Online condolences or remembrances of Patrick are welcome in the comment section below or on the Facebook page of Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home.