Leonard Lawrence Donahue

Leonard L. Donahue, age 87, of Stratford, passed away on July 12, 2025, at Yale New Haven Hospital. 

Leonard played high school football and was a talented runner.  He was recruited by Penn State to run track and cross country at the collegiate level, and in 1959 he competed at the prestigious Penn Relays in front of more than 41,000 people.  Leonard graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Ceramics Engineering in 1960.  After serving in the US Army, he met the love of his life, and his best friend Karen (Sharp) Donahue and on September 26, 1964 they were married. 

Leonard was an inventor, innovator, and unconventional thinker.  After retiring from a long career with the US Government at Sikorsky, he continued to experiment in his home laboratory. His concept was to use the relative motion of a machine to enrich atmospheric air required for combustion.  He developed a prototype of what would become the basis of four US patents (US9878282B2, US10035101B2, US9863633B2, US9803859B2).  This work was his passion and has the potential to revolutionize the engines on which the world runs.  

The most defining aspects of Leonard were his Christian faith, and his love of life.  He understood and was thankful for how blessed he was, saying “life is great” every day.  His mission was to tell the world about the love of Christ, and he greeted everyone he met with “Jesus loves you”.  He was a great advocate for the unborn and the right to life.  He fought for the defenseless and lived as Jesus would want him to, by doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

He is survived by his loving wife Karen Sharp Donahue of 61 years; his children, Robin McCann and her husband James of GA, Thomas Donahue and his wife Donna of Bridgeport, Jude Donahue and his wife Lisa of CA; his siblings Patricia Dohoda of PA, Theresa Donahue of PA, Thomas Donahue of CA, Dennis Donahue of FL, Hubert Donahue of PA; his grandchildren;  James, Michael, Joshua, Sarah, Matthew and Rachel.

Friends are invited to attend a memorial Mass on Friday July 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. directly at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 220 Shelton Rd. Trumbull. Interment will be private. Arrangements have been entrusted to Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Rd. Trumbull. (Memorial contributions can be made to the Yale Division of Neurocritical Care & Emergency Neurology). To leave an online condolence please visit www.mullinsfh.com.

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