Monday, December 7, 2015
My sincere condolences to the Donahue family.
My thoughts on Mr. Donahue, a distinguished veteran, a great American business entrepreneur,
and foremost, a devoted family man.
His son Dave and I became great friends as kids.
Mr. Donahue and the rest of the family always made me feel as welcome in their home as I was in my own family's home.
I can recall that when Mr.Donahue came home from work, the energy of the whole house was raised,
and you could hear his hearty laugh from any room in the house.
Mr. Donahue had a great passion for his businesses, his customers, and the local community.
I learned this first-hand, where he was kind enough to let me work occasionally to earn extra money.
No matter the obstacles, he did what was necessary to satisfy his customer’s needs.
Always looking for the next opportunity, after building a successful trailer/camping business, he was able to deftly transition to a new furniture business.
These businesses were good for Burlington as he supported many local sports teams, charities, and community events.
After working hard most of year, Mr. Donahue took advantage of the fruits of his labor
by taking his family on those famous month-long vacations to every corner of America.
I, too, have taken my own family to visit as many parts of America as possible.
Since learning of his passing, I now realize that my own desire to travel was largely inspired by Mr Donahue's love of exploring America.
His impact on my life, and I'm sure many others, will be felt for many years to come.
Tom Donnelly
