James Joseph Donahue

b. January 19, 1957

d. June 6, 2022

A long time resident of North Arlington, New Jersey, Jim attended Queen of Peace High School, graduating in 1975. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving from 1975-1977. Upon his discharge, he took a job in the U.S. Postal Service in Lyndhurst, New Jersey where he worked for the next 11 years. During this period of his career, Jim also attended Bergen County Community College, receiving his A.A. in 1979, but wasn’t too busy to meet Susan Michele Rajczyk. They married September 19, 1981. Christopher James was born July 21, 1984 and Michele Deanna born Nov. 20, 1986; the lights of Jim’s life.

The family relocated to Phoenix (Ahwatukee) in 1988 and soon after Jim took a job as a Supervisor for the City of Phoenix where he worked until his retirement in 2010. Over the years, Jim developed an affinity for fancy cowboy shirts, always with pearl buttons, and pairs and pairs of boots to go along with them. He was also an avid collector of tattoos and Oaxacan carvings. A consummate trivia expert, he demonstrated his expertise in travel and geography categories at some of the colorful local Ahwatukee watering holes. Those of us who met Jim and shared a drink or two with him saw a mischievous, often irascible character who could poke fun at you with the best of them. But that couldn’t hide one of the most forthright and generous people you would ever meet, who would without hesitation give you one of those fancy shirts right off his back. Jim is survived by his wife, Susan and the two kids, Christopher and Michele (husband Timothy Sheely), along with a granddaughter, Ella Grace Sheely and stepgranddaughter Madelynn Sheely. Although his parents, Thomas Donahue and Helen Grabowski Donahue have passed, Jim is also survived by two brothers Thomas (wife Lois) and Robert, a sister Patricia Autino (husband Louis), and mother-in-law Suzanne Rajczyk. Jim also leaves behind his beloved pack of small furry friends: Gracie, Eli and Jack.

A memorial will be held at 11 am on June 26th at Valley of the Sun Mortuary (19040 E Chandler Heights Rd., Chandler, AZ). In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage contributions to the Arizona Animal Welfare League (aawl.org)