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College of Pharmacy Student Melissa Doheny with her husband, Michael. On Sunday, Michael Doheney, who worked for a civilian security group that operated in Iraq, was killed by a bomb blast. |
Michael Doheny, 30, the husband of second-year UNMC pharmacy student Melissa Doheney, and two others were killed by a bomb blast in Iraq. Michael Doheny was a civilian who worked for Special Operations Consulting-Security Management Group (SOC-SMG) of Minden, Nev.
Michael Doheny, who served eight years in the U.S. Marines., was a security specialist for SOC-SMG. He provided security for munitions teams collecting and destroying weapons stockpiles. He was on his third tour in Iraq.
“He liked it and felt like he was doing something important — that he was making a difference,” Melissa Doheny said. “He felt obligated to do something.”
The Dohenys had been married six years. They had no children.
They grew up in Broken Bow, Neb., and graduated from the same high school in 1996.
Melissa described her husband as “very fun-spirited with a good sense of humor. He was the glue that held the family together,” she said.
She said his service in the Marines was part of his identity.
“He was really proud of that,” Melissa said. “He wanted to go to Iraq after he separated from the Marines because he’d not gotten the chance to go while in the service.”
Charles Krobot, Ph.D., associate dean in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, said the college feels Doheny’s loss.
“She’s one of our own,” Dr. Krobot said. “She’s had a significant loss. We all are feeling that loss, especially her classmates who are concerned about her, as is our administration and faculty.”
Funeral services are pending at the Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
A memorial has been established by SOC-SMG, Inc., to offset the family’s expenses. Donations can be made to: City National Bank, c/o SOC-SMG Inc., Memorial Funds, Account No. 366202919, Heybourne, Road, Minden, NV, 89423.