Donald James Kehoe, age 79, passed away peacefully on January 7th, 2026 after a twelve years long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was born on December 3rd, 1946 in Middleton, Connecticut and lived a lfe defined by service, strength and his love for his family.

Donnie proudly served three years in the United States Army as a member of The Signal Core, a role that reflected his lifelong committment to duty and respect. Following his military service, he had a longstanding career in telecommunications spanning thirty years across several phone and technology companies. His career was marked by intelligence, discipine and an unwavering sense of responsibility to provide for his family.

Donnie was a gifted builder, craftsman and skilled woodworker. He could build or repair just about anything. He built his first marital home from the ground up at 28 years old. He continued his passion for working with his hands and creating over the years by extensively updating and remodeling each house he lived in. His daughters' homes have also benefitted from those talents. In his younger years, Donnie enjoyed a competitive game of pool, poker nights and a weekly game of golf, all of which he excelled in. Donnie played in multiple softball leagues and was a sought after pitcher and shortstop. Middle aged Donnie stayed busy making sure his daughters knew how to change the oil in their cars as well as how to change a tire on their own. He also held regular "garage lessons," where he taught them basic home repairs and how to use power tools. Donnie enjoyed a good prank and his quick wit and sense of humor were loved by all. He could be charismatic and people were drawn to him, especially children and animals. As his body and mind slowed, his faithful companion, Phoebe the cat never left his side,

Donnie was preceeded in death by his parents, Francis and Dorothy, as well as his brothers, Joseph and Thomas.

He is survived by Deborah Thorpe Kehoe, his wife of fifty three years, his daughters, Erin Kehoe MacDonald (Ian,) and Brooke Kehoe. His grandchildren, Jackson MacDonald and Reese MacDonald, his brother, John Kehoe, his nieces Sandra Kehoe Niesyn and Candice Kehoe and his nephew, Joseph M. Kehoe.

A military funeral will be held in his honor at The Florida National Cemetary in Bushnell, Florida on March 16th at 10:00 a.m. and is open to all. A private reception will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Bright Focus Foundation to support Alzheimer's Disease research. https://donate.brightfocus.org