Derra J. McDonough

Derra J. McDonough of Newark, Delaware passed away on Monday, August 26, 2024 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital after a long illness.  She was 68 years old.

Born in Portsmouth, Ohio January 14, 1956, Derra grew up in New Richmond, OH, as the second of 7 children plus a best friend who she chose as a sister, she was deeply involved in music, theater, sewing, and excelled in academics. She was an accomplished piano player and performed at multiple events and eventually taught piano later in life. She learned to sew from her mother and spent her life making costumes, altering and making her own clothes, and crafting all sorts of creations.

Jill started college in 1974 at Asbury College where she met the love of her life, Richard.

They bonded immediately with a shared love of music, Marx Brothers comedy, nature and many other things. Rich and Jill were married at her home church in Ohio on August 21, 1976, a day filled with family, love, and laughter. Together, they finished college at St. John’s University in 1979 where Jill earned her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language.

From an early age Jill knew she wanted to help people and start a family. Levi Jonathan,

born August 21, 1982, and Allyson Grace, born June 14, 1986 were her greatest joy. Jill also opened her home, heart, and family to many kids over the years, including Jonathan Hunt and Jeremy Allen, both of whom she loved as her own children.

Jill understood the true value of life due to her multiple bouts of cancer and other illnesses, but she faced all of it with strength, grace, humility, and her unwavering faith in God. More than a cancer survivor, she was our “Cancer Warrior”. Jill fought her first battle with cancer in 1991. A rare case of aggressive cancer that would later be studied in medical schools. Having survived the equally aggressive surgery and treatments, she decided to go back to school at Lehigh University where she earned her M.Ed. in Special Education Research. She went on to teach special needs adults, then high school and middle school as a Special Education teacher.

However, in 2004 she once again had to endure aggressive surgery and medical treatments, this time for breast cancer. Throughout her courageous battles with cancer she never lost faith in God and was determined to endure whatever medical treatments necessary. She did this so she could continue to be a wife to her husband, a mother to her children, and touch the lives of so many others in her own loving way.

After retirement, she continued her love of teaching by being very involved with her church, Delaware Korean United Methodist Church, English Ministry, with Sunday school, music ministry, and the close relationships and bonds she formed. Jill was also an avid baker and loved to use her creativity to concoct delicious creations. For a time, in 2012 she even started and ran a bakery with her sister Chelsea in New Richmond, Ohio.

To know Jill was to love her. She touched the lives of most people she met and was always thinking of others and how she could sprinkle love on those around her. She planted many seeds. She was a “Jill of all trades” and a lifelong learner. She absorbed facts like a sponge and loved to share her knowledge. She had a deep connection to both her Celtic and Native American heritages. She taught herself new crafts constantly and loved to share her creations. She loved to learn new languages and taught herself to play multiple musical instruments. She loved animals of all shapes and sizes, especially her rescue dogs whom she always said rescued her and never the other way around, but also had a true love of birds, goats, foxes, and chickens. She had a quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor and loved to laugh. She loved her flowers and her gardens and could grow anything.

Her final battle with cancer began in December of 2022 with the diagnosis of lymphoma. She fought like the true cancer warrior she was and gave it everything she had. She passed away peacefully surrounded in love by family on August 26, 2024, as she went home to be with the Lord. Ephesians 3: 20-21 

She is survived by her loving husband (whom she always called her boyfriend) Richard Keith, her children Levi Jonathan and Allyson Grace, and siblings Louis (Tracey) Combs, Chelsea Combs, Stuart (Sarah) Combs, Adam (Kari) Combs, Magen (Kyle) Church, sister-in-law Lorraine McDonough, brother-in-law Billy McDonough, sister-in-law Chrisilia McDonough, and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Granville and Martha Combs, her sister Fonda Combs, her parents-in-law Herbert “Bill” and Anita McDonough, aunties-in-law Mary Vargo and Rose Browne, and brothers-in-law Kenneth McDonough and Roger McDonough.

Visitation with the family will be from 12:30PM until 2:00PM with a funeral service at 2:00PM on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at the LONGWOOD FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION of MATTHEW GENEREUX, 913 East Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square.  Burial will follow the funeral home service in Union Hill Cemetery, 424 N. Union Street, Kennett Square.

The funeral home service will be LIVESTREAMED beginning at 12:30PM.  CLICK HERE

Memorial donations in Derra's name may be made to: Urban Promise Wilmington urbanpromise.org/donate  OR  Faithful Friends Animal Society faithfulfriends.us/donate

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