Edward Thomas McDonough III, forensic pathologist
Dr. Edward Thomas McDonough III, 69, of Lewes, passed away Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, surrounded by his family after a long battle with lymphoma.
He was born Jan. 11, 1954, in Rochester, N.Y., son of Drs. Edith (Buchanan) and Edward McDonough Jr. He graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, Springfield College (MA) and New York Medical College in Valhalla. Edward completed a pathology residency at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut and a forensic pathology fellowship at Dallas County and UT Southwestern Medical School. He worked as an associate forensic pathologist, and later deputy chief, for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington, Conn., from 1986-2009. He also taught courses in Death Investigation and Forensic Nursing at Quinnipiac University and University of New Haven. In 2009, Edward relocated to Lewes and worked for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Delaware.
Edward was predeceased by his first wife, Kathryn Doherty. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Kathleen Johnson McDonough; daughter, Heather Hoagland (Chris) of Monroe, Conn.; daughter, Kristin McDonough DeVries (Brett) of Milford, Conn.; daughter, Sara Johnson of Northampton, Mass.; son, Ben Loveless (Sarah) of Moretown, Vt.; grandsons, Kai Hoagland and Beckett Loveless; and granddaughter, Ande Loveless. Edward’s four siblings survive him: Kevin (Sheri) McDonough, Kathleen McDonough Layton (Brendan), James (Patricia) McDonough and Mary McDonough May (Michael); and sister-in-law, Jean Donlon (Stephen). He will be missed by his much-loved cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Edward was a kind, generous and principled man who did the right thing even if it was hard, and he taught his family to do the same. Family came first. His generosity extended to others in the volunteering he did, driving for Meals on Wheels, participating in food drives, and being part of Code Purple at St. Jude the Apostle Church last winter, even after receiving another difficult diagnosis. His motto was “fully participating in life” and he did just that, holding a cane in one hand and a bocce ball in the other. Another proclamation was “XLNT” when he was pleased with someone’s achievement.
Friends will be received at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 29, at St. Jude the Apostle Church, 152 Tulip Dr., Lewes, followed by a Mass of Remembrance at 11 a.m. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Edward’s honor to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, P. O. Box 212, Wilmington, DE 19802, lls.org.
Sign his online guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
