Deacon Donald F. Molinari

Deacon Donald F. Molinari

Born: Irondequoit, NY April 17, 1936

Died: Louisville OH February 10, 2026

Deacon Don Molinari was born in Rochester, New York, April 17, 1936. Educated at Irondequoit High School and received his BA in Philosophy from St. John Fisher University in 1958. He was a Veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard Medical Corps, serving six years in the National Guards of New York, Pennsylvania & West Virginia.

Ordained a Catholic Deacon on April 1, 1979, at St Joseph's Cathedral in Wheeling, WV. He served St, James Parish in Clarksburg WV for 22 years. After moving to Massillon, Ohio in 2001, Don served St, Joseph's Catholic Church for another 23 years. He also served the community at St. Joseph Senior Living Center in Louisville, Ohio, as a Deacon and Chaplain while being a resident there.

Preceding him in Death are his Parents; Dominik & Teresa (Falvo) Molinari, Sisters; Frances & Marie (Jack) Harrison and Brothers Angelo (Stella) & Joe (Angie) Molinari all of Rochester NY.

Don’s wife, Leone of 54 years preceded him in death in 2015. He is survived by a daughter, Theresemarie Molinari (Ed Hampton) of Woodbury CT and sons; Lane Molinari of Naugatuck CT, and Michael (Denise) Molinari, of Massillon OH, He is also survived by his 5 grandchildren; Jenna and Sophia Molinari of Massillon OH, Gina (Steve) Sicard of Wolcott CT, Michael Bianca of Woodbury CT and Ashley Molinari of Hyannis, MA, along with Great granddaughter, Zoe Noelle Sicard of Wolcott CT.

Don worked as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for Burroughs Welcome & Eli Lilly & Company for 37 years. He also taught at Notre Dame HS in Clarksburg WV for 4 years where his students nominated him to appear in the “Who's Who of America's Teachers” three times.

Don trained as a chaplain at St Francis Hospital in Charleston WV and was awarded a one-year residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at West Virginia University Hospitals in Morgantown. He was Board Certified by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in 1998. He served at the Mercy Medical Center in Canton OH as Manager of the Department of Pastoral Care, as well as Chairperson and member of Mercy’s Patient Rights Organizational Ethics

Committee. In 2018 Don moved to St. Joseph Senior Living complex in Louisville OH where he served the residents in this community, as Deacon and Chaplain.

Friends may call at Paquelet & Arnold-Lynch Funeral Home, 1100 Wales Rd NE Massillon OH Wednesday, February 25th from 5-8PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday February 26th at 11:00AM at Divine Mercy St. Joseph Catholic Church, 322 Third St SE Massillon OH. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Roger Herrick Scholarship fund, or the Employees’ Sunshine fund at St Joseph Senior Living, 2300 Reno Dr Louisville OH 44641.

Additional contributions can be made at the Relay for Life Cancer fund and the St Vincent DePaul Society of St Joseph Catholic Church in Massillon OH.

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