Block Island Times

Mary D. honored by Diocese

Mary Donnelly of Block Island was recognized by the Diocese of Providence with the Lumen Gentium Award in Community Service and Charitable Outreach. It’s a fitting award, given Donnelly’s over half-century of medical service to the people of Block Island, and the enormity of the charitable outreach her nonprofit, the Mary D. Fund, provides.Donnelly, a registered nurse, arrived on Block Island in 1958 with her husband and young family, and quickly began working with the Rescue Squad. She worked tirelessly on the island, making numerous house calls and home visits, providing healthcare and services often as the only licensed medical professional on the island. She served as President of the Medical Services Committee and as an incorporator of Block Island Health Services. Donnelly lobbied and worked for the construction of the Medical Center, where she became a constant fixture until she hung up her stethoscope in 2013.But nursing is not the only way Mary Donnelly has been taking care of Block Islanders all these years.
The Mary D. Fund was established in 1984, providing financial assistance to islanders in need since that time. With the help of her daughter Marguerite, Donnelly, now 93, oversees the distribution of funds

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