Musical/Dancing Fountains in memory of Irving J. Donahue, Jr.

Who was Irving J. Donahue, Jr.?  

SHREWSBURY- Irving James "Jim" Donahue, Jr., 81, of Shrewsbury, died December 1, 2003 at UMass Memorial Medical Center - Memorial Campus. He was chairman of Donahue Industries and with his wife gave generously to local organizations and schools.

He leaves his wife of 57 years, Barbara May Grant Donahue; two daughters, Susan E. (Donahue) Falzoi, wife of Thomas A. Falzoi of Shrewsbury, Judith L. Donahue of Shrewsbury; and three grandchildren, Laurie K. Falzoi of Brookline, Debra S. Falzoi of Worcester and Curtis J. Falzoi of Los Angeles. Mr. Donahue was born in Shrewsbury, son of Irving James Donahue and Ethel (Larson) Donahue, and lived here his entire life.

Mr. Donahue graduated from Shrewsbury High School in 1940 and from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1944. He served in the Navy in World War II , after being commissioned at the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1948.

Mr. Donahue's involvement in the community predates his work as head of Donahue Industries. He was a selectmen from 1953 to 1968. He helped bring Selectman-Town Manager and Representative Town Meeting form of government to Shrewsbury in 1954. He served on the Shrewsbury Finance Committee for nine years. He was a former chairman of the board of Worcester Memorial Hospital, a former trustee of WPI, past director of the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce, past chairman of the Lake Quinsigamond Commission, past president of the Central Massachusetts Employers Association, past trustee of the Consumers Savings Bank, past director of the Massachusetts League of Cities and Towns and past director of the Massachusetts Association of Finance Committees.

Mr. Donahue started three companies: Donahue Industries in Shrewsbury in 1956, Donahue International in Delaware in 1967, and I.J.D. Inc. in Shrewsbury 1974. His daughter, Judith L. Donahue, is president of Donahue Industries and I.J.D. Inc.

Mr. Donahue may be best remembered for his and his wife's generosity. They donated more than $900,000 to build, on Lake Quinsigamond, the largest rowing center in the USA. They made many other contributions, some of which included scholarships at WPI, a fund for the First Congregational Church, a heart pump for Memorial Hospital, rowing equipment for Shrewsbury High School, St. John's High School, and WPI, an "RUOK" computer for Shrewsbury Senior citizens, a hovercraft for the Shrewsbury Police Department, improvements at Edgemere Park, a fund for the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, a hearing aid system for Foothills Theatre, the Shrewsbury Historical Society Museum, town beautification, and a room dedicated to his father at the new Worcester Vocational School.

Mr. Donahue belonged to the Matthew John Whittall Lodge AF & AM, the First Congregational Church and the Shrewsbury Historical Society. He was a past member of the Chief Executive's Club, the Shrewsbury Rotary Club, and the Ray Stone Post of the American Legion. He received the man of the year award from the Shrewsbury Lions Club, in addition to numerous awards from WPI. He was recently inducted into the Shrewsbury High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Other past and present affiliations included the Harvard Business School Club, the Bohemians, the Mechanics Hall Association, the Sturbridge Village Association, the Worcester Art Museum, the Worcester Club, the Worcester Country Club and the Worcester Science Center.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Barbara and Irving James Donahue, Jr. Scholarship Fund, c/o University Relations, WPI, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 or the Donahue Rowing Center, c/o Angela Snell, Parks & Recreation Department, Shrewsbury Municipal Building, 100 Maple Ave., Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

HERE'S WHAT JACQUELINE REIS, WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE REPORTER, HAD TO SAY...

"Businessman gave 'talent, time, treasure'"
Philanthropist Irving Donahue dies

SHREWSBURY- 

Irving James "Jim" Donahue Jr., who turned his business success and community involvement into years of philanthropy, died Monday. 

Mr. Donahue, 81, was chairman of Donahue Industries in Shrewsbury and, with his wife of 57 years, Barbara Grant Donahue, donated more than $900,000 to build and expand the Donahue Rowing Center on Lake Quinsigamond. They also donated rowing equipment worth thousands of dollars to Shrewsbury High School, St. John's High School and WPI. 

And they helped buy the Shrewsbury Police Department a hovercraft and Worcester's Foothills Theatre Company a new system to aid the hearing-impaired. Other donations helped pay for the Shrewsbury Historical Society museum and for scholarships at local schools. 

"Jim lived the golden rule," said Edwin "Ted" B. Coghlin Jr. of Shrewsbury, a longtime friend. "He gave his talent, time and treasure to make communities he loved better places." 

Mr. Donahue was a lifelong Shrewsbury resident. He graduated from Shrewsbury High School in 1940 and served in the Navy in World War II. He later graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and from Harvard Business School. 

Mr. Donahue founded Donahue Industries, which manufactures grinding wheel components, in 1956. One of his two daughters, Judith L. Donahue, is president of the company and lives in Shrewsbury, as does her sister, Susan E. Falzoi. Mr. Donahue also leaves three grandchildren. 

Mr. Donahue was a selectman for 15 years many years ago, and saw the town change from a three-member Board of Selectmen and an open town meeting without a town manager to a five-member Board of Selectmen, representative town meeting and town manager form of government. The town recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of these changes by bringing all the former selectmen together, but Mr. Donahue was too ill to attend. 

Mr. Donahue died at UMass Memorial Medical Center - Memorial Campus, Worcester, where he had been a  trustee when it was simply Memorial Hospital. He was trustee at another Worcester institution, WPI, from 1973 until his death. Pat M. Samson, a spokeswoman for the school, said it does not traditionally say how much a donor has given but "he's been very generous to WPI." 

It was through WPI that Mr. Donahue met Mr. Coghlin, although the two men did not go to school at the same time. 

"He's just been a wonderful mentor to me, and a wonderful friend," Mr. Coghlin said. "I guess we share the same chemistry: If a job needs to be done, go out and do it." 

Mr. Donahue frequently gave advice to his children and grandchildren, telling them they could "take it or leave it," Mrs. Falzoi said. In 1996, he sent his granddaughter, Debra Falzoi of Worcester, some words of wisdom that included the need to repay society for good fortune and the need to be humble. 

Thomas A. Fiore, chairman of the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen, noted that Mr. Donahue and his family have been "very quiet" about their donations. 

"Any involvement they did have was low-key. They're not into publicity and fanfare. They're just very, very generous people. They did it from the bottom of their heart," Mr. Fiore said. 

Mr. Donahue's note to his granddaughter also describes his experience taking a beginner's computer course at Quinsigamond Community College when he was nearly 70. 

"We are never too old to continue to learn," wrote the man who gave time and money to local schools. "My mind makes me think I'm a 20-year-old - with a very short crewcut."