Kenneth Vincent Donaghey, who worked as a plumber at MIT for more than three decades, died on April 24 after a long illness. He was 77.
Donaghey was born in Winchester and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He began working at MIT in the mid-1960s; he retired in 1996 and moved to Florida.
His son, Kenneth A. Donaghey, is a house manager for MIT's Department of Housing; another son, Tim Donaghey, worked as a carpenter in the MIT Department of Facilities for several years. The elder Donaghey was also the uncle of Larry Donaghey, the assistant director of labor relations in facilities, and of Philip Donaghey, a plumber in facilities.
Donaghey was a member of St. Timothy's Catholic Community Church in Lady Lake, Fla., and the American Legion. He enjoyed playing golf, making stained glass lamps and windows, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth C. Donaghey, of The Villages, Fla.; six sons and a daughter; and 17 grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on May 6 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Winchester. Burial with military honors was at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 6, 2009 (download PDF).
