James Peter Donovan

James (Jim) was born on October 30, 1938 in Rome, NY to Walter (Pete) and Mary (Ritzel) Donovan. He attended Mohawk Valley Community College and was employed as a draftsman at GE. He was drafted into the Army in 1961 and was assigned to the First Armored Division and served on the Honor Guard Team until 1963 when he received Honorable Discharge. He returned to work at GE while earning a B.S. degree from Syracuse University. During this time he married Ann Lybarger, his wife of 53 years, with whom he raised two daughters. He worked as a salesman for Eastman Kodak for 25 years. They retired to Crozet, VA in 1997 where he helped to build their dream home with a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He also fulfilled a life-long dream of owning a log cabin on Loon Lake in Rangeley, ME where he and Ann loved to spend the summer months.

Jim loved cooking, woodworking, model train-building, building and launching high powered rockets, and was a member of the Maryland/Delaware Rocketry Association. He was a life-long Notre Dame Football fan and loved watching NASCAR racing. He loved working in his beautiful yard on his John Deere tractor. Jim was known for his wonderful sense of humor, his ability to make friends with anyone, and his kind and passionate spirit. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.

Jim is survived by his wife Ann, daughters Sherri (David) Roberto and Laurri (Glenn) Diener, and five grandchildren, Christopher, Sarah and Kaityln Diener and Jimmy and Laura Roberto, and sister, Carol (Donovan) Powell.

A Memorial Mass will be held 3:00p.m. Saturday, October 5th, 2019 at Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville, In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be sent to the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA or Hospice of the Piedmont.