John Donahue

John E. Donahue has ended his long journey with Alzheimer's Disease. He died at home in hospice care and among family on Wednesday, August 23, 2017 John was born on December 14, 1935 in Omaha, NE to Barbara Penne and Edward S. Donahue. The Great Depression had hit hard, so John's parents placed him in St. James Orphanage. He lived there for eight years, when his natural parents took him home with them. He graduated from Holy Name high school and then earned his BS degree in economics from Creighton University in 1957. He had a twenty-five-year career with IBM Corporation in managerial positions in Omaha, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Franklin Lakes, NJ, and Atlanta.
Before his illness, John Donahue was active in community work on behalf of High Street Unitarian Universalist Church. He coordinated the church's involvement with Rebuilding Together (formerly Christmas in April), chaired the annual auction, volunteered at Weekend Lunch (then Backdoor Kitchen), and was the backbone of the Peacemakers program for children. Further, John was the district coordinator for AARP tax preparation for several years.
John is survived by his wife Jane Avery Donahue, step-children Susan Raza (Omer Kondo), Mary Mathis (Bob), Georgia Heard, and Tim Heard, each of whom he loved deeply and attentively. He leaves five grandchildren: Robby Mathis (Jordan Linder), Amanda Mathis, Akangbe Assongba (Goy), Summer Heard, and Danielle Heard, as well as two great-grandchildren, Wisawarut Chomphupan and Tai Assongba. He is survived by a number of nieces and nephews, and is predeceased by both his parents and by his siblings Bob Hodgins, Tom Donahue, Ted Donahue, Frank Donahue, and Sister Benedict Joseph (Nell) Donahue.
John Donahue's family wish to thank Goy Assongba for her loving dedication to John and her diligent care of him and to Barbara Fischer and Beth Collins for the many times they served as volunteer caregivers.
The family is also grateful to Encompass CareSouth Hospice for the months of tender care and words of encouragement and to the Threshold Singers for the many times they visited John to sing.
Cremation has been arranged with Fairhaven Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held Saturday September 2, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at High Street Unitarian Universalist Church, 1085 High St, Macon, GA 31201.
In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests that donations please be made to either the Theatre Macon, 438 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201 or Tubman Museum Heritage Camp, 310 Cherry Street, Macon, Georgia, 31201
Friends may sign the online register at www.fairhavenmacon.com
FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services has charge of arrangements.