Little League® International mourns the passing of Thomas E. “Tom” Donnelly, longtime Manchester (N.H.) North Little League (MNLL) President, supporter of Little League’s A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Conn., and namesake of the Thomas E. Donnelly Complex, home of MNLL. He was 83.
Born in Cambridge, Mass., Mr. Donnelly graduated from Revere (Mass.) High School, and attended Boston University and Bentley School of Accounting (now Bentley University). Mr. Donnelly served in the United States Marine Corps Air Service from 1952 to 1956 when he was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.
Most of Mr. Donnelly’s career was spent working as a Property Administrator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). Following his retirement in 1996, he devoted his full attention to the MNLL programs. He was League President for 36 of the 50 years he volunteered with the league.
In 2004, he was honored with the naming of the “Thomas E. Donnelly Complex,” home of Manchester North Little League Baseball and the North Little League Leadership Award for outstanding service and devotion to the youth of North Manchester. During his time with Little League, Mr. Donnelly was especially devoted to the Little League Challenger Division®, Little League’s division for physically and intellectually challenged players.
For several years he was also involved with the Jimmy Fund and was instrumental in raising more than $75,000 in donations which went to support Cancer research in children.
Mr. Donnelly is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth (Corbett) Donnelly; three sons: Thomas, Brian, and Michael; three daughters: Cathleen, Lauren, and Megan; 10 grandchildren; two sisters; and many nieces and nephews.