Daniel Donahue

1942 - 2021

Daniel Donahue
August 3, 1942 - December 10, 2021
Winston-Salem, North Carolina - DONAHUE, DANIEL WILLIAM "DAN", 79, of Winston-Salem, NC, died Friday, December 10, at his home in Bruges, Belgium. His gentle heart stopped beating at 11:35 p.m. The 16th in a line of family men who bore his name, Mr. Donahue was the son of Daniel William Donahue and Emily Nancy Donahue and was born on August 3,1942 in Boston, MA.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina School of Law, Dan began his legal career in 1968 with a general litigation practice in Greensboro, NC. In 1978 he joined the law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice (now Womble Bond Dickinson US LLP) in the Winston-Salem office as a Partner, where he served as National Coordinating Counsel for the Ford Motor Company, RegO Valve, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and other national and international clients in products liability litigation.
In 1982 Dan was elected to Fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was also inducted into American Inns of Court, Middle District of North Carolina, a national organization that inspires the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring.
In 1990 Dan joined R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and remained there until his retirement in 2005 as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel in charge of Litigation.
In 2006 Dan was recognized by peers for his professional achievements by being named to Super Lawyers, an honor limited to a small number of attorneys in each state and acknowledging his status as one of the top-rated attorneys in the nation.
A devoted member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, Dan bore no judgment of others. His internal compass was always pointed toward, "how can I help?"
Dan was also active in community affairs. Commitments included Habitat for Humanity; Salvation Army/Winston-Salem; Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Board Member; Rotary Club of Winston-Salem; and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission, Board of Commissioners; among others.
With a passion for gardening, Dan excelled at raising vegetables and loved sharing his produce with friends and family. Renowned for his Irish sense of humor and playful fun, Dan used these giftings as he pursued his love of international travel, always surrounding himself with an ever-expanding circle of friends. And if there was a beach nearby to explore, even better.
Among favorite travel plans for Dan were those that included Bruges with his loving wife Kay. After years of visiting, they made a home there and have always delighted in time spent with their Belgian friends. Dan and Kay fell in love at first sight, were deeply devoted to one another, and shared many common interests, including joy in traveling, meeting and coming to know people around the world as, together, they gathered many friends across the globe.
The light of Christ shone brightly in Dan, and his family rejoices that God has welcomed him into eternity.
Remaining to cherish his memory are Dan's wife, Bonnie Kay Donahue of Winston-Salem; son, Michael Donahue and his wife Melissa of Powell, OH; daughter Ashley Fox and her husband John, of Cary, NC; grandchildren, Andrew Donahue, Katherine Donahue, Sebastian Fox, and Ethan Fox; brother, Dennis Donahue and his wife Elizabeth of Charlotte, NC; brother, Peter Donahue and his wife Peggy of Sarasota, FL; brother, Kevin Donahue, of Nevada, IA; uncle, Paul Donahue of Weston, MA; and uncle, Leo Donahue of Sacramento, CA.
A private memorial service will be held in Winston-Salem.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem (520 Summit Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101) and to Salvation Army/Winston-Salem (P.O. Box 1205, Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1205). Please include Dan's name in correspondence.