Remembering John O’Donnell
John O’Donnell of Killington, Vermont passed away suddenly this past weekend.
The son of Alice and John F. O’Donnell, he was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts and grew up in both Teaneck, New Jersey and Arlington, Massachusetts. He received his degree in Civil Engineering from the Worchester Polytechnic Institute and worked as a Civil Engineer in both the public and private sectors before leaving the “city life” behind and moving to Vermont.
John had been a “weekender” for many years before becoming a Killington “local” over 15 years ago. John was first employed as a National Sales Engineer for Central Vermont Public Service Corp. in Rutland. Always happiest talking to the people who visited Killington, John also spent his time selling real estate, and working at several local restaurants including The Inn of the Six Mountains, Moguls Sports Pub and the Wobbly Barn. He was always the consummate professional and was respected and admired by everyone he came into contact with. His ability to light up a room was legendary.
An avid golfer, John was a member of the Killington Golf Course for many years and was a member of Green Mountain National Golf Course since its opening in 1996. John was a fierce competitor and participated in many club events, having won the Green Mountain National President’s Cup twice. The crowning moment of his golfing career occurred in 2006 when he “aced” Hole #5 at Green Mountain National for his first and only hole-in-one!
John is survived by his sisters Lorraine O’Donnell and Patty O’Donnell of Massachusetts, Jeannie Lewis and her husband Sturgis of Rhode Island, his girlfriend Sheryl Molea, a frequent visitor to Killington, and countless friends all over New England.
John’s funeral will begin at the Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Chestnut St., Arlington, Massachusetts on Thursday, July 10 at 9:00 am and proceed to a funeral mass at Saint Agnes Church (adjacent to the Keefe Funeral Home) at 10 am. Visiting hours are Wednesday evening from 4-8 pm at the Keefe Funeral Home. For online condolences please visit www.keefefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701.
There will also be a memorial service held at the Green Mountain National Golf Course Clubhouse on Monday, July 21 from 5-8 pm and everyone is invited to attend. Please come and help us celebrate the life of our dear friend.
We will miss our dear friend JOD deeply and he will forever be in our thoughts and prayers.