Donna J. Broccolino

Donna Jean Oettinger Broccolino, of Ellicott City, died Aug. 5, 2008, of cancer, at Johns Hopkins. She was 61.

Born Jan. 16, 1947, in Baltimore, to Donald and Hilda Kuhl Oettinger, she spent her youth in the Irvington neighborhood of southwest Baltimore. Her family relocated to Ellicott City when she was 10. She graduated from Howard High School in 1963.

In 1966, she graduated from the Church Home School of Nursing in Baltimore with a nursing degree.

She married Dario J. Broccolino, now the Howard County's state's attorney, in 1967.

Mrs. Broccolino worked as a registered nurse for Bon Secours Hospital in Baltimore for more then 20 years, as well as for St. Agnes Hospital, also in Baltimore, for two years.

She managed a surgery center for Bon Secours in Ellicott City, which was purchased by St. Agnes. She held that position for five years. Mrs. Broccolino then began working for a national company, Surgical Synergies, as a manager of centers in Frederick and Hagerstown. She held that position for three months before being promoted to a position opening surgery centers in New York, Louisiana, Missouri and Maryland.

She was employed by Surgical Synergies for 10 years before moving on to work as a nurse monitoring patients' prescription intake, lifestyles and post-hospital administrative treatment plan for American Healthways in Columbia for six months in 2004. She retired that year.

Family members recall that she enjoyed gardening, mah jongg and socializing with a tennis group based in Ellicott City, whose members were from the Forrest Hill Tennis Club.

She is also remembered for her devotion to her family, especially to her three grandchildren, Vincent, Isabella and Parker, as well as for displaying a resiliency to surgeries, cancer therapies and experimental treatments during her illness.

She was predeceased by her parents, Donald and Hilda Kuhl Oettinger.

In addition to her husband of 40 years, Dario J. Broccolino, Mrs. Broccolino is survived by a daughter and a son-in-law, Michelle Broccolino Smith and Steven Smith, of Baltimore; a son and a daughter-in-law, Mark and Michele Broccolino, of Ellicott City; a sister, Sharon Lynn Zimmerman, of Ellicott City; three grandchildren, Vincent Broccolino, of Ellicott City, Isabella Broccolino, of Ellicott City and Parker Steven Smith, of Baltimore; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial mass was held Aug. 9, 2008 at the Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City. The Rev. Jim McGovern officiated.

Online condolences may be left at www.slackfuneralhome.com.

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