Obituary of Donna Marie Ragonese

Ragonese, Donna Marie, 72, passed away September 23, 2014 surrounded by family in the home of her dear friend Phyllis Goodwin. Donna taught Special Education in the Brentwood School District from 1964 to 1996. She earned her first master's degree from Adelphi University in 1967. She later earned a second Master's degree in social work from Stony Brook University in 1985. Donna was well known for her volunteer and philanthropic efforts. She was president of the Ulster County Cornell Cooperative Extension from 2003-2007, helped found Little Ones Learning Center in the Town of Rochester and volunteered at Family of Woodstock where she answered their crisis hotline. Her most recent formal training was as a court advocate to speak on behalf of abused and neglected children. Donna traveled internationally with Earth Watch and assisted in studies of African wildlife, sea turtles in Costa Rica, Macaws in Peru, tortoises in the Galapagos, mosques in Turkey and ruins in Thailand to name a few. Donna loved helping people and had a true affinity for nature. In 2003 she completed a Master Gardener course. Donna is survived by her beloved husband Gene Gaston, daughters Allison Purciello, Valerie Prentiss and step daughter Lorrie Berger Gaston and grand-daughters Nicole Purciello and Caroline Prentiss, her brother John and sister Patsy Lynn. Visitation at MA Connell Funeral Home, 834 New York Ave., Huntington Station, on Thursday and Friday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral services to be held at the Funeral Home, Saturday at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Research Division.