Obituary of John T. Donovan

John T. Donovan, 92, beloved husband of the late Mary Josephine (Petra) Donovan, died unexpectedly early Wednesday morning, May 6, 2009, at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center Hospital in Burlington following a brief illness. Born and raised in Malden, he was the son of the late Francis P. and Eva T. (Trant) Donovan, was proud to be a member of the first graduating class from Malden Catholic High School and was a member of the first varsity football, hockey and baseball teams. He then attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied in the Agricultural Program. Following graduation, he established his own Wholesale Florist business at the Boston Flower Exchange. John served in the US Navy during the Second World War, seeing extensive duty on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Following his discharge he and his wife built their own home in Concord, Massachusetts, where he began his new career as a Manufacturers Representative for chemical products with various companies. John was a member of the Elks Lodge in Malden, the Irish-American Club of Malden and the Disabled American Veterans Club. He took great pride in making every day a memory, and in being able to say that his beloved Red Sox captured three World Series Championships in his lifetime. He is survived by: his daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Philip Keown of Peabody; his cherished granddaughter Bridget Keown, the love of his life; his nieces and nephews from the Landry family, Richard, Barbara, Kathy, and Debbie; his friends and neighbors on Wahtera Road, who became his extended family, and Nancy Todd, a lifelong friend. Following cremation, a visitation will be held on Monday from 4 – 8 P.M. in the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St. location, Peabody. Relatives and friends may gather on Tuesday at 8 AM from the funeral home followed by a Funeral Mass at 9 AM in St. John's Church, Peabody. Urn burial will be private with the family. The family requests expressions of sympathy to the Visiting Nurse Association of the North Shore: 36 Merrimac Street, Building 9, Lawrence Massachusetts, 01843, with attention: Community Relations. Please visit www.ccbfuneral.com for info & sign guestbook.