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By Rachel Kytonen
rachel.kytonen@ecm-inc.com
“Hardworking. Trustworthy. Honest. Caring. Giving. Sincere. Happy. Compassionate. But the word that describes her best is good friend.”
Those are just a few of the words Dorothy Baker, GracePointe Crossing care centers administrator, used to describe Sybil Donelan.
Donelan, who is retiring after 12 years as the director of nursing for GracePointe Crossing Gables East (formerly Cambridge Health Care Center), was honored during a recognition program on Thursday, Oct. 29. 
Pictured: Sybil Donelan receives a hug from one of the center's residents. (Photo by Rachel Kytonen)
Many of Donelan’s friends, family and co-workers, and GracePointe residents, handed Donelan pink carnations as she was escorted up the white aisle runner.
Donelan, who started with Cambridge Health Care Center in 1997, was honored with the Minnesota Directors of Nursing Administration Director of the Year Award in 2008.
Robert Sundberg, who sold Cambridge Health Care Center in 2007 after 60 years of family ownership, wasn’t able to attend Donelan’s retirement celebration, but did share a few sentiments.
“You deserve to be able to put your feet up and rest in the knowledge that you’ve left a legacy and a staff to carry on in your absence,” Sundberg wrote. “You were the very best director of nursing I had to work with and Cambridge Health Care Center was the best nursing home in East Central Minnesota and possibly the entire state of Minnesota because of you. I was the luckiest administrator in the state because I had you to work with.”
Donelan is relocating to Battle Lake and will pursue other hobbies, which may include opening up an antique shop and writing a book about long term care.
“It has been a joy building a team with nursing and all the departments,” Donelan said. “I was very lucky and very blessed to have this opportunity and thank all of you.
“Keep the faith. Continue to work to make GracePointe Crossing the best, and make it a place where we’d want to live ourselves,” Donelan added.
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