Obituary

Bernadette Elizabeth Donegan, 80, of Arden passed away Friday, June 6, 2025 with her family by her side.

Ms. Donegan was born January 13, 1945 in Ireland, one of 16 children to the late Michael and Margaret Feeney Donegan. She immigrated to the United States when she was just 17 years old, living with one of her brothers, Pat and his wife, Kathleen. While in Ireland, one of her favorite childhood memories was when the harvest of wheat, barley and oats came in, farmers would come to help her father, and the children would play together.

In her younger years, she worked as a telephone operator for Mayfair Regent in New York City, often receiving phone calls from Sean Connery. She then took on the hard work of being a homemaker to raise her children and also enjoyed working as an Activity Director and later Administrator for long term nursing and Alzheimer’s facilities.

Bernadette had five children, whom she followed each to live near them including Delray Beach, FL, Rock Hill, SC, Alpharetta, GA, and Boone and Asheville, NC, finally residing in Black Mountain. Her children and grandchildren were the most important part of her life.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her siblings, Michael, Pat, Sean, Thomas, Billy, Tony, Brian, Bridgette, May and Stella.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Michael Duggan, Michele Kratz, Mark Duggan, Bernadette Masterman and Gregory Duggan; grandchildren, Shaina, Ashley, Preston, Kayla, Kyle, Luke, Haley, and Katelyn; and siblings, whom she enjoyed a very close relationship with, Teresa Donegan, Noel Donegan, Peg White, Ester Lawless and Tony Donegan.

A graveside service will be held Monday, June 9, 2025 at 10:00am in Mountain View Memorial Park, Black Mountain, NC.