James Dennis Donovan

Obituary

James Dennis Donovan, the son of Jack and Madeline Donovan, was born on July 9, 1942, and passed away on April 28, 2023.

He had two sisters, Maxine Carpenter and Claire Donovan, and one brother, Mike Donovan, all of whom predeceased him. 

Jim was married to Carolyn Gumbert and they had two daughters, Erica and Heather. After divorcing they had a lifelong commitment to co-parent.

Jim is survived by his wife Marie, his daughter Erica and her husband Chip Hall; his daughter Melissa Allgood; his son, Anthony Snow and his wife Stacee; his two granddaughters Aimee Rodriguez and Britnee Snow; and thirteen nieces and nephews and their families, all of whom he loved dearly.  His daughter Heather predeceased him.

He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1960 where he was on the varsity football team.  He was taking engineering classes at LACC but dropped out of school in order to help support his mother when his father passed away.

He went to work for the County of Los Angeles where his lifelong career as a building inspector began. 

As a young boy, he taught himself to play piano on an old upright in the corner of the garage next to the family home on Cumberland.  He would play Chopin to Boogie Woogie to old 50’s standards, and in December he played beautiful Christmas carols. 

He was a “Dwarf,” a group of football players who were like brothers, a fraternity, a family. Together they played over 40 years. They were smart and competitive and they did not like to lose.  He proudly wore No. 23.   

He loved cars, especially old cars.  He drove his 1965 El Camino for over 30 years.  He could take a car apart and put it back together. 

Jim was a Boy Scout, he was in the Shamrocks Motorcycle Club, he was a Past Master Councilor of DeMolay, and he sang in a Barber Shop Quartet chorus.  He was a proud Marine. Go Devil Dogs. He could build and fix anything.  He had a great “hippie” look in the 60’s.  He loved Western movies and John Wayne and he watched every episode of “My Toy Trains.”  He would cry at “Little House on the Prairie.” 

He was a blue jeans and tee shirt guy.  He was intelligent and read every book in his vast library, including The Bell Curve just for fun.

He bought his first Tilley hat on Vancouver Island when he was visiting his sister Maxine.  He loved their philosophy and wit and became a Tilley hat guy forever.

He loved horses.  As a teenager, he worked at Pickwick Stables.  Later, he loved sharing his knowledge of horses with his two granddaughters, Aimee and Britnee. They were in the California Rangers.  He went to their practices and competitions.  He also was in California Rangers.

He loved this country.  He thought the men who created such a system of government were geniuses and he read every book about the Founding Fathers.

Jim married into a Big Greek Family and survived almost forty years.  He loved them and went to all of the kids’ sporting events, usually with his two little girls and dog in tow.

At the age of 71, Fr. Rolly baptized Jim in the Catholic Church.  It was one of the happiest days of his life.

Jim had a long battle with Alzheimer’s but it was never able to affect his beautiful smile and his kind heart and soul.

There have been many words describing this lovely man: quiet, gentle, loyal, faithful, humble, loving, genuine, smart, strong, kind, sweet, caring, sensitive, eccentric, respectful, competitive, and always a gentleman.    

His family adored him.  His loss is immeasurable.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Little Church of the Flowers, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205.   

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to Alzheimer’s Association or Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 7315 Apperson Street, Tujunga, CA 91042.