BGSU employee was a top bowler

12/25/2004

BOWLING GREEN - Donna Lahey, who spent two decades working with Bowling Green State University students in the Counseling and Career Center as well as participating in the family-owned appliance business, died Thursday at her home. She was 76.

Mrs. Lahey died after a nearly year-long battle with cancer, her husband, Jerry, said.

Born and raised in Bryan, Mrs. Lahey graduated from Bryan High School and completed a two-year secretarial science program at Bowling Green State University. It was during that time that she met her husband on a blind date set up by his cousin.

Not knowing that Mrs. Lahey was a superb bowler and would later turn down an invitation to join the Toledo Queens, a women's traveling bowling league, Mr. Lahey invited his date to the bowling alley.

"She cleaned my clock something awful," Mr. Lahey said of his first bowling experience that night. "She put me through three games and just murdered me. And 25 years later, on our 25th anniversary, we went bowling, and damn if she didn't do it to me again."

Mr. Lahey said his future wife was also an avid golfer - she even made a hole-in-one at the Bowling Green Country Club where she was a member - and enjoyed playing bridge.

But it was Mrs. Lahey's 22 years spent at BGSU's Counseling and Career Center that she enjoyed the most. Starting out as a secretary, Mrs. Lahey became an assistant administrator. She spent most of her days helping college students and many of her Saturdays administering SAT and ACT tests to high school students. "She was a good-hearted person. She gave it her all," Mr. Lahey said. "She was one of those people that if she did something, she did it right."

Mr. Lahey said his wife retired from BGSU in 1994 but often saw former students in the ensuing years. Dick Fisher, now an attorney in Napoleon, remembered Mrs. Lahey from his years spent at the university.

"This was a woman who took care of everything," said Mr. Fisher, 55, who was a resident adviser in an all-male dorm and often needed Mrs. Lahey's help. "She was extremely kind and considerate, and she was a great listener."

As vice president for the family business, Lahey Appliance and TV, Mrs. Lahey was in charge of bookkeeping. The Bowling Green business was started by Mr. Lahey 53 years ago.

Mr. Lahey said his wife died at home with her family surrounding her.

Surviving are her husband, Thomas, known as "Jerry"; daughter, Christine Hatten; son, Kirk; and one granddaughter.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Dunn Funeral Home, 408 West Wooster St. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Aloysius Church.

The family suggests tributes to St. Aloysius School.