Gertrude Lucille "Cele" Donohue, 101, of Rocky Hill, CT passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, October 5, 2023. Cele was born in Wethersfield and was the daughter of the late James and Julia (Smith) Donohue. She was a graduate of Mt. St. Joseph Academy and held undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Hartford. Cele was employed as a social worker by the Department of Children and Families in New Britain and Middletown working with abused children and in adoption. She travelled extensively in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Cele attended several elderhostel programs. She was a member of the Women's Nine Hole Golf Leagues on both Wednesday and Thursday. Cele enjoyed playing bridge and was an active volunteer after her retirement with Habitat for Humanity, the GHO, Jubilee House and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. She was formerly a member of the adult learning program where she attended opera classes and was a member of the opera group who attended performances at Lincoln Center. Cele was a member of the Wadsworth Atheneum, PETA, The Humane Society of the United States, Best Friends, the Hartford Audubon Society, Common Cause, The Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace and the Pre '57 alumni committee at the University of Hartford.

Cele was predeceased by her parents, sisters Mary T. and Marjorie and her brothers, Attorney James J. Donohue and Stephen R. Donohue, P.E.  She leaves her beloved cousins and many dear friends.

Funeral service will be held Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church, 601 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield, CT. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, Wethersfield. Relatives and friends may call at the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Tpke., Wethersfield, CT Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Animal Friends of CT,  P.O. Box 370306, West Hartford, CT 06137 or to the Northeast Animal Shelter, 347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA. 01970. To share a memory of Cele, please visit www.dillonbaxter.com