| Graduation Year | Class of 1962 |
| Date of Passing | Aug 13, 2020 |
| About | John C. Donovan, a longtime resident of Garden City, NY and recently of Palmyra, VA, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on August 13, 2020. He was 76 years old. John was born in Elmont, NY on March 8, 1944 to Walter and Jean Donovan. He graduated Elmont Memorial High School in 1962, and the United States Military Academy at West Point as a member of the Class of 1966, serving in Vietnam as a member of the Signal Corp as a Lieutenant and Captain. His actions in Vietnam earned him a Bronze Star in 1969. Upon his return to the United States, John took a job at New York Telephone, and rose up quickly through the ranks. In 1975, he met Karen, his wonderful wife. They were married in 1977 and enjoyed a 43-year marriage with three children, John Jr., Thomas, and Theodore. They moved to Garden City in 1983. In the mid-1980s, John became the general manager in charge of replacing conventional underground cable in Manhattan with fiber optics to usher in the new information age. His success in this field led to a two-year transfer to Albany to continue this work, during which time the family moved to Ballston Lake, NY, near Saratoga. The Donovans returned to Garden City in 1991, taking up residence on Osborne Road. Upon early retirement from NYNEX in 1995, John started an Expert Witness and Consulting business called Telecom Visions, Inc., and became one of the prominent expert witnesses in his field. During this time, John also served as the Commander of the William Bradford Turner Post of the American Legion in Garden City for nearly 10 years. In this capacity, John played an instrumental role in many village events and accomplishments, including getting the Garden City monuments located in the central area of the village. In 2011, John and Karen moved to Palmyra, VA, where John continued his work as an expert witness in semi-retirement until his full retirement in 2018. John will always be remembered as a loving husband, a dedicated and inspirational father, a man who strove for excellence in all that he did, and an open and wonderful friend to everyone he knew. John is survived by his wife, Karen; his children, John, Thomas, and Theodore; his grandson, Levon; and his brother, Richard. He will be interred at the United States Military Academy at West Point. There will be a ceremony at the Old Cadet Chapel at 1:30 p.m. on October 15, 2021 followed by a graveside service and reception. If you wish to attend, please contact Karen Donovan: e-mail: ksdonovan@hotmail.com. |
