Donnarae P. (Conte) Bryne's Obituary
Donnarae P. (Conte) Bryne, 75, of Liverpool, passed away on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, after a long illness. She was surrounded by her loving family at the time of her passing.
Donnarae is survived by her devoted husband, Eugene B. Hicks; beloved daughter Donnarae (Garry) Togni; grandchildren, Sarah N. Togni, Jacob A. Togni, Natalie Rae (Jericho) Cerelli, and Mikayla R. Togni; one great-grandson, William AE Togni; and siblings, Yvonne Conte, Jacquelyn Kotary, and Anna (Jeffery) Tomasino; half-brother, Robert (Sue) Conte; her best friend, who was like a sister to her, Catherine (John) Plewak, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and best friends that will miss her, Mary (Chuck) Snyder, and Lenny (Janice) Scarano.
She was predeceased by her parents, Angela D. (Torsella) Conte and Frank W. Conte, as well as her beloved brother Alfred D'Conte.
Donnarae was born in Utica, NY and was a 1967 graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School. She went on to earn her degree from Powelson Business Institute in Syracuse in 1968. She began her career in 1971 as the Administrative Assistant at Prestige Merchandise Service. She went on to manage an all-female sales office that led the state of Pennsylvania in sales in the mid 70's, before returning to NY. She held a long career as Avon representative, leader, recruiter and trainer, and district manager spanning 40 years and multiple states. She was Presidents Club Sales and Inner Circle Sales Award winner for most of those years. In 1995 she began to assist with the marketing for Clyde Goldberg Financial Planning where she stayed until retiring to care for her mother in 2005. Donnarae dedicated 15 years to the honor and care of her mother.
Donnarae was an avid volunteer for WCNY PBS TV for several years. She loved meeting the community and supporting PBS.
As a long-time member of Living Word Church, Donnarae's strong faith was evident in her daily life, over the years she volunteered in the church store, the nursey and the private k-12 school. She loved to worship alongside her grandchildren and later with her mom. She'd often told granddaughter Sarah to sing louder, because she couldn't see the words displayed on the wall. Her hope was for each of you to know the love of her savior. She could frequently be found sharing her faith in stores, at garage sales, and in restaurants. She had a love for people and wanted to share the truth she had found.
She loved spending time in her garden, sipping tea with friends, baking for family members, and making people laugh. She will be remembered by friends and family alike for her incredible sense of humor, generosity, deep love for her family, and her unwavering faith in God. Her legacy of kindness, humor, and compassion will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servant.
The family would like to thank Laura Wickline, David Oquendo, Estelle Nbayikunda, and the staff of St. Joseph Hospital for all the loving care, friendship, and support.
Calling hours will be held on Monday, February 24, 2025 from 11am – 1pm at Living Word Church, 6099 Court Street Road, Syracuse, NY 13206, immediately followed by a funeral service in celebration of Donnarae’s life at 1pm at the church. Private burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Donnarae’s name may be made to Living Word Church Food Pantry at www.livingword.live/donate. Gifting to others was at the core of who Donnarae was.
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