Mary Regina Donnellon Blohm

Mary Regina Donnellon Blohm, 92, died January 25, at Vicar’s Landing, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL of natural causes. She was surrounded by her family. She was born on September 26, 1919 in New York City. She attended the Ursuline School, the College of New Rochelle and was graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1941. She was employed as an engineering assistant for Bell Laboratories in Manhattan. In 1943, she married Willard H. Blohm. They were married for forty-eight years before Colonel Blohm passed away in 1992. They had five children. Mary was active in community life wherever she lived. In Tenafly, NJ she was on the executive board of the Parent Teacher Association and President of the Tenafly Women’s Club. She was a Cub Scout den mother, Brownie leader and a Sunday school teacher. She ran for the New Jersey State Assembly from the 15th district in 1979 while living in Hackettstown. Mary and Willard moved to Lake Wales, Florida in 1980 where she was President of the Council of Catholic Women at the Holy Spirit Church. She was also President of the Lake Wales chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW.) In addition, she wrote poetry, painted and was a talented pianist. She loved people, enjoyed lending a hand where needed and drawing people into joyful events. She moved to Vicar’s Landing, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL in 1993 with her sister, Frances Updike. At the turn of the millennium in 2000 when she was asked by a television reporter what she thought was the most significant event in her lifetime, she said, “It’s incredible when you think that when I was born, women were not allowed to vote.”
She is survived by a brother, Samuel Donnellon of Erie, PA; five children: Michael Blohm (Eleanor Cautley) of Whitefish Bay, WI; Sharon (Dr. Charles) Winternitz of Baltimore, MD; Katherine Blohm (Joshua Leinsdorf) of Atlantic Highlands, NJ; William (Patricia) Blohm of Burlington, VT and Robert Blohm of Atlantic Beach, FL; 6 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

The funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Monday, January 30 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 545 Route A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach, where Mary was a communicant. Burial will be at the Lake Wales Cemetery on Tuesday, January 31.