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302-478-7100 Wilmington & Hockessin, DE

James M. Donatello

James M. Donatello, age 78, of Wilmington, DE, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at Sunrise Assisted Living.

James was the son of the late Daniel and Rose Donatello, and father of the late Judy Baker. He attended Michigan Technical University in Houghton, MI where he earned his Chemical Engineering degree. James was retired from the DuPont Co.

James is survived by 3 of his 4 children, Susan Maloney (Gary), Michael Donatello (Lori) and Kathryn Donatello-Forte; 5 grandchildren, Nicole Campbell, Christopher Glasow, Emily Baker, Tess Donatello and Sydney Donatello and brother Daniel Donatello. His family and friends will miss him dearly.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 4:00 PM at CHANDLER FUNERAL HOME, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803. A visitation will be held prior to the service from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that friends who wish to express their sympathy make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.

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Funeral Services

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 4:00 PM at CHANDLER FUNERAL HOME, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803.

A visitation will be held prior to the service from 3:00 to 4:00 PM.

Interment will be private.

Condolences

    John Sawyer lit a candle and writes,
    I was saddened to see that Jim has passed away. I am so sorry for your loss. I supervised Jim’s thesis for his Masters of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies at the University of Delaware. Jim and I worked together on a continuation of his thesis and published that work in 2004: "Donatello, J. M., & Sawyer, J. E. (2004) ROAM: The research opportunity assessment model for targeted innovation. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 1(1), 93-113." In addition to our scholarly work together, I enjoyed Jim’s friendship. I treasure memories of helping him restore his antique sail boat, re-caulking the wooden hull, sanding and preparing the deck for varnish. I had the pleasure of sailing with Jim after he finished the restoration. I still have the shirt he gave me with the boat name printed on it, a memento of being one of his crew. Jim was a kind, thoughtful, intelligent man. I will forever cherish is friendship. Sincerely, John Sawyer
    12/30/2017 10:00 am
    BJ lit a candle and writes,
    Sad to hear the passing of such a great man. He always welcomed me into his house and always had a kind word to say. Played many games of Life while eating Texas Burgers, But above that, he was a father figure to me and I will always be thankful that our paths had crossed. God bless.
    01/02/2018 06:48 am
    Patricia Garrett lit a candle and writes,
    I knew Jim through his dealings with the Town of Chesapeake City. He was renovating a house on Charles Street at the time. I have only today discovered that he passed away in 2017. How many days I have passed that little house and thought about him. He was a lovely man and I always enjoyed talking to him when he visited the town. I did spend an afternoon on his yacht before it was totally restored and he trusted me bringing it in to the dock at Georgetown on the Sassafras. Deepest sympathy to all of his family. Patricia
    06/29/2021 01:38 pm

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