Obituary of Sean Michael Donalty

Sean Donalty of Gig Harbor, WA, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2024, just short of two years since his diagnosis of multiple myeloma. He was born in Arlington, Virginia, and grew up in Great Falls, Virginia. He attended Radford University, earning a degree in economics. He earned a second degree in wildlife biology from Old Dominion University, and spent a number of years applying his knowledge of the outdoors and wildlife to several research projects. He met his wife, Andrea while working at Booz, Allen, and Hamilton. They married in 1997. At the time, he was a volunteer firefighter and EMT, a position which he also enjoyed tremendously during his family’s time on Whidbey Island. He always liked helping others and served as a Boy Scout assistant troop leader while he lived in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was most at home in the woods and reveled in taking hikes with his family. His penchant for meeting neighbors and sharing a good laugh or kind word has been remembered often. He also had a love for board games and amassed quite the collection, always on the lookout for a companion with whom to play. He greatly enjoyed travel with his family and Andrea’s two overseas tours were amongst his favorite. His children will always remember the Rick Steves’ tour books, which were the bane of their existence, but provided guides to locations that were less known to tourists, places Sean always sought out. His favorite role remained being a stay-at-home dad to his four boys, one that started with the birth of his oldest son. 

He is survived by his wife (Andrea) and their four boys (Matthew, Liam, Colin, and Evan) as well as extended family: his mother Mary Lynn (Lindy) Donalty, sister Trish Landi, her husband Mark and their two children Vin and Alexa; sister Erin; and brother Brian and his two children Megan and Patrick. He was preceded in death by his father Frank Donalty. Sean was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend, and neighbor and is greatly missed by all who knew him.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church at 11 am on Friday, March 22, 2024, with a reception immediately following at the Gig Harbor Yacht Club. Future interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.