Gannon, Donal Robert, 1930-2006, former Jesuit priest
- IE IJA ADMN/7/85
- Person
- 07 January 1930-02 November 2006
Born: 07 January 1930, Coote Terrace, Portlaoise, County Laois
Entered: 07 September 1948, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois
Ordained: 31 July 1962, Milltown Park, Dublin
Died: 02 November 2006, Sue Ryder Home, Ballyroan, Portlaoise, County Laois
Left Society of Jesus: 07 September 1966
Parents William, a Chemist and a Dentist and Gertrude (Aird)
Seventh of eight boys with three sisters.
Early education was at a Christian Brothers National School, and then at the Secondary School, both in Portlaoise.
Baptised in St Peter and Paul’s, Portlaoise, 12/01/1930
1948-1950: St Mary's, Emo, Novitiate
1950-1953: Rathfarnham Castle, Juniorate, UCD
1953-1956: St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, Philosophy
1956-1959: Mungret College SJ, Regency
1959-1963: Milltown Park, Theology
1962-1966: at Loyola Chicago IL, USA (CHG) studying Industrial Relations
Left community 20/06/1966, whereabouts unknown.
Married Peggy (Margaret Bowers) in Chicago, but in 2001 they were divorced, and he had returned to Ireland and the Church.
1966 Address: New Orleans Street, Chicago IL, USA
Had taught at the Latin School, North Boulevard, Chicago and then relocated to Maine.
Address 2000: Madawaska Road, Palmyra, Maine, USA. In 2000 he writes he is not in great health - bypass surgery.
Dispensed from Priestly Celibacy 28/05/2002
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2008/09/25/obituaries/donal-robert-gannon/
DONAL ROBERT GANNON
PALMYRA – Donal R. Gannon, 76, died Nov. 3, 2006, in Ireland, after a brief illness. He was born Jan. 7, 1930, in Portlaoise, Ireland. He was educated in Ireland and came to the United States to complete a master’s degree in industrial relations. He married his wife, Peggy, in Chicago, and they relocated to Maine in 1974. As a supervisor in Maine’s Department of Child Support Enforcement, Donal devised a set of guidelines for non-custodial parents that was subsequently adopted virtually nationwide. The family moved to Palmyra in 1977, where, after retiring from the state, Donal and his spouse opened a greenhouse and nursery business, The Shepherd’s Garden, which they ran jointly for 12 years and where he was able to pursue his love of gardening. Donal returned to Ireland in the spring of 2001. He is survived by his ex-wife, Peggy of Palmyra; a daughter, Kirstin Larson of Palatine, Ill.; a daughter, Nancy of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a son, Kevin of Tempe, Ariz.; a son, Brendan of Cambridge, Mass.; three grandsons, Robert and Nathan Krause of Chicago and Benjamin Larson of Palatine, Ill.; five brothers, Anthony and James of Ireland, Ignatius of Wheathampsted, England, Francis of Philadelphia and John of Hong Kong; three sisters, Claire Gill and Gertrude Dunne, both of Ireland and Gabrielle Nahaboo of London; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, William and Patrick, both of Ireland; and a sister who died in childhood. Services and burial took place Nov. 6, in Portlaoise, Ireland.