Claire Betty (Lawless) Donahoe passed away on June 16, 2025, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Burke, Virginia, from complications of dementia.
Claire was born at Newport Hospital to James and Elsie (Marvelle) Lawless on March 7, 1959. She grew up on Norman Street, attended St. Augustin Elementary School, and graduated from Rogers High School in 1977 and from Rhode Island College in 1981. A passionate and empathetic educator, Claire devoted her life to teaching, shaping the lives of countless students throughout her career. She first began her teaching at Jesus Savior Elementary School and continued at the Department of Defense Schools in Naples, Italy. She taught grade school at St. Matthews Catholic School and Star of the Sea in Virginia Beach, VA. Claire spent the last 25 years of teaching as a Pre-School Special Education Specialist with Fairfax County Public Schools. Upon retirement, she returned to the classroom as a teacher at Knollwood Community Pre-School in Burke, VA.
Claire is survived by her husband Sean Donahoe of Burke, VA; two sons, Patrick Donahoe of Fairfax, VA and Jason (Danielle) Donahoe of Collingswood, NJ; two brothers and one sister, “Rick” David (Filomena) Lawless of Tiverton, Frank (Diane) Lawless of Bristol and Catherine “Katie” (Don) Wilkinson formerly of Portsmouth, now residing in Kirk Yetholm, Scotland; nieces and nephews Angela Lawless of Bristol, James Lawless of Cranston, Max Lawless of Bristol, Kristen Lawless of Tampa, FL and Katelynn Lawless of Tiverton; and one grandson, Archie Russell Donahoe of Collingswood, NJ.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Elsie Lawless of Newport.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 24 with visitation from 9:30 AM-10:30 AM at the O’Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring St, Newport. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 AM, St. Augustin’s Church, corner of Carroll Ave & Harrison Ave, Newport. A private burial service will be held at St. Columba Cemetery, Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, Claire’s family requests that you please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association in Claire’s memory at https://www.alz.org/
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