of Pawtucket, passed peacefully into eternal life, on Sunday February 7th, 2021 at Miriam Hospital. She was surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 62 years old.
Maureen was the beloved wife of Joseph Donovan, Jr. Besides her husband, Maureen is survived by, and was the beloved Mother of two beloved daughters, Molly and Erin Donovan, both of whom lived with her at home, and who were the loves of her life! She is also survived by her brother Henry Cote, Jr. of Warwick, by her sister Catherine (“Cathy”) Chatowsky, and her husband John Chatowsky, of Lincoln. She is survived by two nieces, Catie and Megan Chatowsky, as well as two nephews, Stephen and Nathan Donovan. Maureen is also survived by an uncle, an aunt, several cousins, and many dear friends.
Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Henry Cote, Sr. and Mary (Horan) Cote.
Maureen was a graduate of Bishop Keough High School, and a 1980 graduate of the University of Rhode Island. After graduation, Maureen began her career as a very accomplished dental hygienist, an avocation that she truly loved!
Maureen was a devout Catholic, and a strong believer in Catholic education. She made many sacrifices in order for her daughters to attend Catholic school. Maureen also loved teaching her CCD class at St. Augustine Church.
She was a very loving and understanding person. Maureen always assumed the best in people, and was always quick to forgive (or typically not to take any offense at all).
Maureen was also extremely proud of her Irish heritage, and loved to decorate the house to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. She was a woman of elegant taste. Maureen loved to read (especially James Patterson’s books), and to sew. She loved music and attended many Bruce Springstein concerts. Maureen was a wonderful homemaker, cook, and loved to experiment with new recipes. She also had a very inquisitive, disciplined mind and loved to research just about anything on her computer. She was a fountain of practical wisdom (undoubtedly influenced by the wonderful parents that she was blessed with).
Most of all, Maureen treasured time with her family. She loved taking her daughters to the beach (usually Sand Hill Cove), going shopping with them, or simply talking with them about their daily experiences at school. Maureen also especially delighted in attending all of the shows that her daughters performed in, marveling at their talent and poise, and relishing the joy that they derived from performing on stage!
Her passing leaves an incalculable loss in the lives of all of those who loved her, and whose lives she touched. Until we meet again, her spirt will live on, especially through the lives and faith of her two daughters. We will never forget her! She will always be with us! We will hear her gentle voice whispering her wisdom in our ears, feel her gentle hand on our shoulders, encouraging and comforting us as we go forth, like she would want us to do.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 13th at 11am in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 1081 Mineral Spring Ave, North Providence, RI. Burial will be private. Visitation of groups of less than 15 at a time will begin at 8am in the Keefe Funeral Home, Five Higginson Ave, Lincoln. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Mary Academy-Bay View in Maureen’s memory, via www.bayviewacademy.org/support-bay-view/bayviewfund or mailed to 3070 Pawtucket Ave, Riverside, RI 02915. www.thekeefefuneralhome.com.