Donald Dolan made his final theatrical gesture on July 29, 2022 with his family a captive audience, as ever, at his bedside. His passing was unexpected, coming after a brief illness and stay in St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY. Don was born to the late Donald and Jessie Dolan (Picihna) on February 13, 1955 in Hudson, NY. The youngest child born to three fawning older sisters, all this attention during his formative years surely contributed to what would become a life of entertaining and theatrics. As a boy he was known to play for hours with his army men under a cherry tree in his backyard on Robinson Street, with his elaborate sound effects heard all the way down the block. He befriended animals wherever he went, from a neighborhood mutt named Dusty as a toddler, the family cat Charlie as a child, to the woodchuck who took up residence in his yard as an adult. He got his first babysitting gig at just 10 years old playing with a child down the block, and he would continue to delight in the animals and children he crossed paths with for the rest of his life.
He attended St. Mary’s Academy where his antics continued, much to the chagrin of the nuns who would serve as material for his jokes for the rest of his life. After graduating from Hudson High School in 1973 he earned a degree in – to no one’s surprise – Theater from SUNY Plattsburgh, before hitchhiking across the country, amassing friends and stories that his children never tired of hearing. He settled into a career working for the state for 28 years, first for the Office of Child and Family Services, then Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and finally the Office of Disability Services. Aside from his commitment to social work, he was also known amongst his colleagues for routinely asking when the drink cart would arrive, which they finally followed through with on the day he retired.
Don met his beloved wife, Lisa, through his sister Eileen, who watched Lisa’s daughter. Their courtship consisted of talking, laughing, listening to music, and spending as much time in the water as possible – this would serve as the foundation of their nearly three decade relationship. Don and Lisa married in 1998 in a small backyard ceremony with Eileen as the maid of honor and Dan Rogers, Don’s friend since kindergarten, as the best man. These nuptials made Don the “bonus father” to two children, Caitie and Christie, whose affection he earned by taking them fishing, camping on Long Lake, and buying them more pizza than they could ever eat. After endless cajoling from his new daughters, Don brought home a dog, Mookie, who they would dote on ferociously until 2000 when Don and Lisa had a son, Michael, who has been the primary object of the family’s affection ever since. In 2017 Don became a grandfather – or as he preferred to be called, “Poppow” – and he relished his new role of bouncing a baby and sneaking his granddaughter Mike and Ikes when his daughter wasn’t looking. His children will most cherish the memories of him and their mom dancing around the kitchen, family singalongs to Ingrid Michaelson’s You and I, and sitting at the kitchen table swapping stories with music playing in the background.
In his free time, Don enjoyed participating in community theater. He fully embodied the saying “no small roles, only small actors” by completely shining in every part he took on, even if it had just a few lines. His favorite ever part was the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, which he reprised three times. He also spent his time serving as a reading mentor at the local elementary school and loved running lines with his son, also a Theater major who shares Don’s penchant for drama. He was an avid fan of the Mets and Giants, often superstitiously insisting his wife stand by the dishwasher during important moments in the game because that’s where she was standing when the Giants won the Superbowl. He enjoyed fly fishing, reading murder mysteries, completing the daily crossword with his wife, watching Law and Order, and playing with his grandchildren.
Don leaves behind his wife, Lisa Westermann Dolan; three sisters Eileen Dolan (Patrick Maloy), Helen Dolan (Doug Schmidt), and Mary Ann Dolan (Joe Concra); son Michael Dolan; daughters Caitie Hilverman (Ron Hilverman) and Christie Hilliard; grandchildren Poppy and Clifford Hilverman; and many well-loved nieces, nephews, and cousins. Don’s calling hours will be held at Bates and Anderson funeral home on Green Street in Hudson on Tuesday, August 2nd from 4 to 7pm. Private funeral services will be held on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Upstage Productions, a community theater group in Hudson of which Don was an active participant, at P.O. Box 1177, Hudson, NY 12534. To honor Don, sit down with a loved one, pour yourself an Absolut and club with no fruit, and listen to Parting Glass by The Clancy Brothers. “Good night and joy be to you all.”
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