Michael Donovan

Michael Donovan, 68, of Lima Peru, died on July 2nd, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 27 years Maria Teresa Donovan, his children Cindy, Ines, Michael, Christopher, Maria Teresa (Maite), Gonzalo, Arturo, his siblings Joe, Tony, and Martha, and grandchildren Sophia, Emilia, Emory, his good friend David Gonzales, and his favorite dogs Sargento, Pepper, and Bella. He was born to the late Anthony and Ines Donovan on August 9th, 1949 (which was in the first half of the last century as he like to say) in Lima, Peru.

Michael Donovan spent his youth traveling with his family visiting countries on every single continent of the world. His travels permitted him to be present for important events in the history of the world such as the Suez Canal Crisis where he met President Dwight D Eisenhower as a young boy. Michael attended St. Johns and Milford Military Academy for high school graduating in 1967. Following his completion of high school, Michael enlisted in the US Army and served honorably for 2 years. Following his completion of service, he attended the University of Connecticut receiving an associate degree in business management.

Michael moved to Peru in the early 70s and worked alongside his uncle Jaime managing construction projects all over Peru. Included in those projects was the hospital that his children Michael and Christopher were born in and the world’s first, and to date only, hotel on the Amazon in Iquitos, Peru. Michael was the general manager of this project which was a massive undertaking. Most of the hotels interior furnishings had to be flown in over the mountains or shipped on the amazon river. Peru in the 1980s was under the control of a dictatorship and so Michael had to negotiate with many unsavory characters in order to keep the project open and protected from terrorists. He negotiated with the Peruvian Air Force to have a seat on a military transport everyday so that communication could be maintained with the projects financiers in Lima in case the radio didn’t work. He negotiated protection from the local drug lords by offering them free rooms during the high season. His favorite thing to do at night would be to navigate the amazon on a pontoon boat using only the stars to guide him.

In 1990, he met the love of his life Maria Teresa de Bracamonte. He raised a family with her for the next 27 years. With Maria Teresa he traveled to the United States and spent then next 20 years in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, Michael started a business and raised his sons Michael and Christopher and always found the time to make it to the important events in their lives despite his busy schedule. In December of 2016 Michael and his wife Maria Teresa moved down to Florida to escape the frigid Wisconsin winters and start a new life in Miami. His son Gonzalo moved them into his apartment until they found a place of their own. Michael immediately began working alongside his son and business partner David in the Miami restaurant business. He enjoyed having a beer with David every day for lunch. He enjoyed eating breakfast at a small café near their home with his wife, dancing the tango with his wife, and enjoying his family.

It is difficult to describe the type of person Michael was in only a few words. He was intelligent, well spoken, and stately. Possibly the best way to illustrate the kind of person Michael was is the way he took care of his parents. Michael was the type of person that would show his love through his actions. He cared for both his father and mother while they were bedridden with illness for years until their passing. He showed them great care and compassion. That is how he treated everyone else in his life.