The Reverend Donald J. French, age 65, of Hamden, passed away on Saturday, November 29th, 2014 at the Mary Wade Home in New Haven. Born in West Hartford, the son of the late Lorraine French, he grew up in Stratford and Milford and attended local schools there. After studies at St. John's Seminary in Boston, he was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Hartford in 1976. He served as Assistant Pastor at St. Mary, Newington; St. John the Baptist, New Haven; and St. Mary, Derby. He was pastor of St. Francis, New Haven; St. Brendan, New Haven; and Blessed Sacrament, Hamden. He also worked with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he taught Latin and helped establish their seminary library. He retired in 2012. Fr. French leaves no survivors. Friends are invited to Fr. French's visitation on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Church, 321 Circular Ave, Hamden. followed by his Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM to be celebrated by the Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, Archbishop of Hartford. Interment will be private. Arrangements are in care of Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Ave, Hamden. Contributions in Fr. French's memory may be made to: Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, http://fssp.com/press ,119 Griffin Road, Elmhurst Township, PA 18444.