Donald J. Poland, Sr., 80, beloved husband of Marie (Latina) Poland, passed away Sunday, January 31, 2016 at Hartford Hospital, surrounded by his wife and children. He was born in Hartford on June 11, 1935, son of the late John Poland and Anna (Bogacz) Poland. Raised in Hartford, Donald attended St. Peter's School and graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1954. While in high school, Donald worked summers at Hartford Hospital. And after his graduation, he remained full-time doing HVAC and retired from the hospital after 43 years. Donald briefly left the hospital when he was recruited into the U.S. Army and served in Germany. Donald married the love of his life in 1965. He and Marie moved to Wethersfield shortly after to raise their two children. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May of 2015. In addition to his family, he loved his cat Maya, his home, his patio, and feeding the variety of birds and wildlife in his backyard. Besides his wife, Donald leaves his daughter, Linda Poland of Newington, and his son, Donald Poland, Jr. of Hartford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, February 4th, 10 AM, at Corpus Christi Church, 601 Silas Deane Hwy, Wethersfield. Burial will follow at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield. Friends may call Wednesday, February 3rd, 4-7 PM, at the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Tpke, Wethersfield. Many thanks to his wonderful caregiver, Tina Langevin. Donald always considered Hartford Hospital his second home. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Hartford Hospital Fund Development, check made payable to Hartford Hospital, Attn: Fund Development, 80 Seymour St. P.O. Box 5037, Hartford, CT 06102. To share a memory with the family, please visit www.dillonbaxter.com.