William Wesley Donnelly
July 4, 1986 – Mar. 16, 2020
William Wesley Donnelly, “Wes,” passed away in his Arlington, Virginia home on March 16, 2020 at the age of 33.
Wes was born on July 4, 1986 in Annapolis, Maryland. He grew up there, and then later in Centreville, Maryland.
He proudly served over ten years with the U.S. Army Reserves. He enlisted in 2009 and rose to the rank of Sergeant, serving in the 305th Psychological Operations Company. He served one tour of duty with the 1st Cavalry Division in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was a Psychological Operations Specialist and Intelligence Analyst.
Outside of serving his country in the military, he worked as a Financial Analyst for General Dynamics Information Technology. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology from George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia) in 2016. He also received an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations from Anne Arundel Community College (Annapolis, Maryland) in 2009. He was a 2004 graduate of Queen Anne’s County High School (Centreville, Maryland) where he excelled in Track & Field.
Wes enjoyed watching football, especially cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He cherished time with family, having fun partaking in yard games, playing with the family dogs, Wes enjoyed traveling to Ireland and all things Irish. He genuinely enjoyed meeting people and extended a helping hand wherever he could. He shared his beautiful, broad smile with many.
Wes is survived by his wife, Lindsey (nee Mitchell), parents Stephen and Karen (nee Monkman) of Louisa, Virginia, and sister Caitlin Mock (Landon) of Washington, D.C. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, William and Marian Donnelly, and Wesley and Georgia Alleyne Monkman.
The family plans to hold a funeral Mass and burial service at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to, Attn: Veterans Relief Fund, VFW Post 3103, 2701 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 or Attn: In Memory of Wes Donnelly, Operation Gratitude, c/o Master Sergeant Richard Headley, 518 Glen Eagle Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.
Deepest Sympathies and prayers to the family and friends!
Thank you, Beth, for your prayers and kind words.
I am so very sorry for your loss of your precious son. May God bless you and your family during this difficult time. My heart is with you both. My love to you and your family.
Thank you, Jeanne, for your kind words.
Lindsey, we are here for you if you need local assistance. We love your family and would do anything to help. Sincerely, Julie, Joe & Alexis
May God bring this family peace and strength at this difficult time. Thank you for sharing with us your son, brother, husband Wes. May he rest in eternal paradise. We love you and hold you close in prayer.
Thank you, Nancy and John
To the Donnelly Family and friends,
On behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3103 family, please accept our sincere condolences for your loss. We too have lost a brother and we all will miss him. Our prayers and thoughts go out to you during this difficult time. May the love and comfort of our Lord and Savior shine upon you now and always.
Wes, we will miss you brother-in arms and Rest In Peace. Your fellow team and military family will always remember you and we thank you for sharing of your life”s journey with us. Until we meet again brother!
Thank you for your kind words and prayers.
Lord God, I pray your comfort over this precious family as their hearts ache with unfathomable grief over the loss of Wesley. Please give them your strength to endure, and your peace. A peace from you that surpasses all human understanding. Bless them with your love and grace. Hold them close as they process their tragic loss over the next days and months to come. I pray all these comforts over the Donnelly family. In Jesus Holy name, Amen
Karen, you have my deepest heartfelt sympathy. If I can be of comfort or help to you, please contact me. My love to you and your dear family. I will continue to pray.
I will remember Wes fondly as a friend who would do anyone a favor without expecting something in return. I was lucky to know him and Lindsey through Kevin and Holly Johnson. And to get to know them as a lovely couple. This is a tragic loss felt by many. My heart is with you. Wes will never be forgotten as a whole community morns and should take all the time they need to grieve.
My heart goes out to you and your family at a very difficult time. God Bless you.
Our deepest Condolences in this difficult time
I’m sorry for your loss. Wes was a good man and great friend. He will be missed ny many.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. May you always remember the laughter and sharing, the loving and the caring, and the wonderful life you shared. May his memory be eternal.
I’m so sorry for you loss.
My heart is heavy with sorrow for all of you.
May knowing that he was so well loved by all who new him bring you peace and happiness. God bless you.
All my love, Aunt Mary Ann Donnelly.
I served with Wes for a time. He was a motivated, reliable, and hard working Soldier. He will be severely missed from our ranks. Our nation was safer when he was among us and now heaven is safer with a Soldier like Wes. Until Vallhala, brother.
Thank you so much for this, Tim. It’s been most comforting to hear from those Wes served with. God bless you.
Our deepest sympathy during this difficult time. May somehow knowing that others care, bring comfort to you. We are holding your family close in our hearts and prayers.
God Bless, Cousin Beth Sadlowski and family
Stephen and Karen,
You have our prayers and deepest sympathies.
We pray that God fills the void now and forever in the loss of Wes. Remember the heavens that await are now even more complete with Wes residing there in perfect peace with our Lord. We are here for you.
Lindsey, Steve, Karen, and Caitlin, Your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Our deepest sympathies and love.
Sean and Ann Donnelly and Family
Lindsey, Steve, Karen and Caitlin,
Words may not ease your sorrow, but I hope the sentiment and love they exude bring you comfort. We love you and are grieving with you. Wes will always be your life, your world and your heart.
May St. Joseph, the patron saint of families, wrap you in a protective and healing blessing.
All you love,
Rich and Lisa Mudd
We are so grateful for all the kinds words and prayers expressed here. Thank you all; every one has been a comfort.
Sincerely, Karen and Steve Donnelly
Dear Donnelly family, I just happened upon the notice of Wes’ passing. I am so stunned and saddened. Yet please know that the moments shared with Wes many years ago were among some of the best memories of laughter and good times I have ever experienced. May your treasured, happy memories of Wes comfort you as well during these extremely difficult times. God bless you. Sincerely, David Emanuel
Thank you, David, for your kind words and for your friendship with Wes and our family.
It is 0430 am, I do not sleep. Wes has been heavy on my heart for days. I just got done reading Lindsey’s post watching her wedding video. It shakes me up and makes me sad. I served with Wes in the Army. He is an outstanding NCO. Wes has helped so many Soldiers get on their feet and prevented a suicide not too long ago. He was my right hand man and one of my best friends. During training, I frequently had to have Wes by my side, as he brought me peace with my own illnesses. I do not sleep, and I am afraid to do so, as I am afraid I will not wake up. This week, all I could think about is Wes, his Wife and his family. We, Soldiers go on to fight evil in this world, only to come home to a much larger battle. The battle that infects the minds of Combat Veterans. The battle that we have within ourselves in an attempt to adapt back to a normal life, a battle that so many veterans are losing day by day, a battle that haunts me daily and every night, if at all, I can get a few hours of sleep, just to re-live the horror that we faced thousands of miles from home. All on here, hear this, as this is a testament and my memorial to Wes, do not allow your Veterans to suffer. Help them any way you can, and realize, even though we act tough, and hide our emotions, inside, we are at war. That war will never leave us.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thank you, Michael, for your compassionate words and the actions you have taken to help ensure other veterans won’t suffer; that help will be a priority when sought.
On April 17th, Wes was buried with military honors at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Cemetery. We offered the following tribute to our beloved Wes:
Our minds know that you are gone
But our hearts will not accept it.
You honored God with the life you lived,
We know you don’t regret it.
To your country, you gave your best,
We thank you for your sacrifice.
To your family and your friends,
You were giver, protector, and the spice of life.
We will miss your laughter, your rich sense of humor,
And your antics, in equal measure
to your sense of duty, honor, camaraderie,
and your dedication to service.
We miss you, and know that
we will never be the same.
We will cry, laugh, be immensely proud
Each time we hear your name.
You meant so much to so many
That the impact of how you lived
Will be felt for generations.
So, thank you for what you have given.
We refuse to say “Goodbye,”
only “Until we meet again.”
We have hope in our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ,
That one sweet day, we will be reunited in Heaven.
We salute your life and honor you
In memories great and small.
Though we will always miss you
for what you meant to us all.
As a proud, great-granddaughter, daughter, sister, cousin, wife and mother of revered servicemen, I am deeply sorry how Wes’s selfless sacrifices affected his own well-being.
May the Divine Assistance always be with him, and may his soul, and all those of the faithful departed, rest in Peace; and may perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.
Thank you for your kind words, Mrs. Carnes.
God bless you and yours.