John Cornelius Donlon

John Cornelius Donlon of Clifton Park passed away on February 24, 2026. Born on August 18, 1959 in Binghamton, New York, John graduated from Maine Endwell High School and continued his studies at Broome Community College. He dedicated more than thirty years of his career to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as an Environmental Engineering Technician. In this role, he conducted extensive field operations involving water and sediment sampling, skillfully operating DEC boats and sampling vehicles. John approached difficult sampling challenges with ingenuity, designing and modifying equipment to collect critical data. He constructed eighteen Trace Organic Platform Samplers capable of concentrating pollutants from hundreds of liters of water and contributed to the investigation of toxic chemicals released during the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. To support the Lakes Research Section, he became a certified scuba diver and performed essential underwater studies. Beyond his technical duties, he served as a PEF Union Steward, advocating for his colleagues.

Outside of work, John generously shared his engineering expertise with friends, assisting with projects such as building decks and installing new heating systems in older homes. An enthusiastic boater, ice skater, cyclist, and car lover, he found joy navigating waterways, frozen surfaces, bike paths, and open roads. He had a particular fondness for classic automobiles, especially his 1977 Corvette Stingray, while later embracing smaller electric vehicles that aligned with the environmental causes he championed throughout his professional life. John could speak with deep knowledge about virtually any vehicle, whether powered by gas, electricity, or hybrid technology.

Above all, John cherished the time spent with close friends, from his early days on the DEC co-ed softball team to the regular monthly lunches and outings that continued into retirement. These enduring relationships brought him great happiness and left a lasting impression on those who knew him.

He is survived by his brother Patrick Donlon and sister-in-law Jean Donlon, his sister Eileen Wheelock, his niece Laurie Wheelock, and his nephew James Wheelock. John was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth “Betty” Donlon and Cornellius Donlon, his brother Michael Donlon, and his nephew Robert Wheelock.