Obituary of Don Quinn
Obituary Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.
Don Quinn, a Shrub Oak resident and husband of Support Connection Executive Director Kathy Quinn, died peacefully on Aug. 4 after a courageous two-year journey living with cancer. He was 67.
Born in the Bronx, he is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Kathy, and his children, Lauren Hocker (Dan), Jackie Piccirillo (Rick), Diane Mintz (Jason) and Michael Quinn (David). He was Poppy to his seven adoring grandchildren, Caroline, Owen, Charlotte, Joseph, Michael, James and Aiden, with two more on the way. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia Raymond (Peter), along with many beloved brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Tom and Peggy Quinn, and his brother, Greg.
He will be remembered as a calming force to all who were blessed to know him. His greatest joy came from being surrounded by his loving family and friends. He truly enjoyed the simple pleasures in life that always included starting the day with a good cup of coffee. During COVID-19 and his cancer journey, he made time every day for a coffee date with his wife, finding new and exciting places to relax, including the parking lot of the Jefferson Valley Mall. During quiet times, he enjoyed reading, listening to many genres of music and playing his guitar.
He completely immersed himself in being a great husband, father and grandfather, whether it was reading books to his children every night, making hairy-arm pizza for his kids and their friends, being the resident fun dad at the pool or being the ultimate camera man on family vacations, never seen but always heard – “Are you having a good time?”
Don extended his love to his four sons-in-law and was often found sharing wisdom about how to be a good husband, infusing his own brand of Bronx humor. He had no greater joy than spending time with his grandkids, always asking “What’s the new dirt today?” and playing bingo and other games. Poppy was the king of cuddling and could put any grandchild to sleep.
To know Don was to love him, as was evidenced by his lifelong friendships along with the many new friends he made throughout the years. He was also very proud of his long career in IT, retiring as a technical services manager for the Empire State Development Corporation. For more than 25 years, he volunteered for Support Connection as a way to support his wife. He enjoyed being the lugger of supplies for the annual Support-A-Walk. Even during his illness, he found ways to make an impact, doing technical projects for the organization.
Contributions may be made in Don’s memory to Support Connection, 40 Triangle Center, Suite 100, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598 or at www.supportconnection.org.
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