PLAISTOW, NH – Gail B. (Mantia) Donovan, 84, wife of Philip J. Donovan, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, May 7 at the Lawrence General Hospital.
Gail was born in Boston the daughter of Charles and Mildred (Harrington) Mantia. She was a graduate of St. James High School, Class of 1957 and was involved in organizing all her class reunions. She served in the Navy Reserves as well as working as a bookkeeper for many years. She did bookkeeping for Stateline Tack, The German Home, and of course for Donovan Floor Covering. Gail and her husband Philip dated since age 15 and were married for 65 years; together they owned and operated Donovan Floor Covering in Haverhill and Plaistow from 1972 to 1992. Through their floor covering business they were able to enjoy traveling to Hawaii, Aruba and Mexico; as well as going to St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico.
She enjoyed baking and loved to cook Italian dishes, especially lasagna and she taught us how to cook homemade spaghetti sauce. She loved to be fashionable, was an avid knitter and crocheted and sewed many of the children’s clothes, even making Barbie doll clothes. Gail was a woman of strong faith. Faith, family and friends were everything to her. Gail and Phil were active parishioners at St. James; she loved anything with angels and the American Flag as well. She was also poetress, and loved music and ice skating. She danced as a child and some of her favorite shows were Dancing with the Stars and watching the Olympics. In support of her two sons Shawn and Danny, who were state champions on the Timberlane wrestling team, Gail wrote poetry for their wrestling banquets.
Gail is survived by her children Kelly A. and her husband Jeffrey Bresnahan of Plaistow, NH, Karen J. and her husband James Atkins of Barrington, NH, Debra Delayani and Gregory Bouchicas of Plaistow, NH, Lisa and her husband Peter Begley of Freemont, NH, Shawn and his wife Heather Donovan of Sandown, NH, Daniel and his wife Karen Donovan of Newburyport, MA, and Jennifer Perry of Loveland, CO. She also leaves behind a sister Linda Graves of Kansas, her 17 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. Gail was predeceased by her brother Walter Mantia.
ARRANGEMENTS: Family and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Monday, May 13 from 9:30AM until 10:30AM at the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main Street, Haverhill. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11AM at St. James Church, 185 Winter Street, Haverhill. Burial to follow at the Elmwood Cemetery Mausoleum, 96 Salem Street, Bradford. Memorial donations may be made in her name to the Pregnancy Care Center, 107 Merrimack Street, Haverhill, MA 01830. Please visit www.comeaufuneral.com or Comeau Funeral Home on Facebook.
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