About The Campaign
Meet the Leadership
In January 2024, the Winsor community lost a loyal friend and staunch champion: Joe O’Donnell.
Joe was many things to Winsor: a parent to two Winsor alumnae, a longtime member of the Board of Trustees, a trusted advisor to three heads of school, and an integral leader of every major fundraising campaign in the school’s history. His commitment to sustaining Winsor’s excellence inspired countless others and changed the school forever.
As we strive to continue Joe’s good work, we acknowledge the profound gratitude we have for his extraordinary legacy.
Katherine and Joseph J. O’Donnell P’05, ’07
Joe and Kathy O’Donnell’s commitment to Winsor is rooted in the support and development of the independence they saw being nurtured at their very first visit to campus. Joe attended Malden Catholic High School and Phillips Exeter Academy before enrolling in Harvard College. He then earned his M.B.A. from Harvard and founded Boston Culinary Group Inc. (originally Boston Concessions Group Inc.), which grew into a major food service corporation. Joe served on the boards of Harvard Corporation, Children’s Hospital Trust, Malden Catholic High School, and the Perkins School for the Blind. Joe and Kathy dedicated much of their work to fighting against cystic fibrosis, after their 12-year-old son, Joey, died of the condition in 1986. They established The Joey Fund to benefit cystic fibrosis research and became active fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, ultimately raising more than $500 million. The National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation twice presented Joe with the Breath of Life Award, its highest honor, for his and Kathy’s work. He served as a Winsor Trustee since 1998. During that time, he and Kathy chaired several Winsor campaigns, including Winsor Promise, which paved the way for building of the Lubin O’Donnell Center. Joe passed away at the age of 79 in January 2024. He and Kathy are proud parents of Casey O’Donnell Buckley ’07, Kate O’Donnell ’05, and Joey (1974–1986).