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John O'Donahue Obituary
Jack was born in Milwaukee, WI but spent most of his youth in Eau Claire where he was the youngest of eight siblings. As a child, Jack could often be found with friends and brothers fishing and hunting in and around the wilderness of the city. He would later return to live most of his adult life in Eau Claire where he remained fond of the parks and natural beauty present in his hometown.
Jack was a handy person and a free spirit who tried out a lot of jobs often driven by curiosity and acquiring new skills. As a result, Jack was talented in countless ways. Throughout his youth, Jack traveled a lot making longer stops in Racine, WI and the oil fields of Wyoming. Eventually, he moved back and settled in Eau Claire with his family Cindy, Colleen, Shannon, and Aaron. Jack was a gentle and kind father who had an infectious laugh and a sparkle of fun in his hazel eyes.
Jack was also passionate about his hobbies - especially bicycling and photography. Not only did he often use a bike for a mode of transportation, he also packed up and took long rides up to the Brule River and Lake Superior to camp and enjoy nature. Jack also was very knowledgeable about photography and enjoyed the technology behind cameras and film as well as capturing shots of wildlife and nature and editing them to make the colors "pop."
In the end, though Jack appreciated his independence and liked to live life on his own terms, he never stopped being nice and thoughtful to those he cared about. He was a beloved father and grandfather and people that were lucky enough to know him well, knew the kindness in his heart.
Jack is survived by his brother, Terry (Mary Ann); former wife, Cindy; children, Tim (Becky) O'Donahue, Colleen (Luke) Stordahl, Shannon (Jose) Garcia, and Aaron O'Donahue; and grandchildren, Corrigan, Juniper, Bryar, Rowan, Izzy, Ari, River, and Shelby.
Jack was preceded in death by both parents, Richard O'Donahue and Esther O'Donahue; brothers, Pat, Bob, Mike, Donald, and Jim; sister, Jean Harris; and daughter-in-law, Jenna O'Donahue.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Jack at 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 30th at 1011 Skyview Drive in Altoona, WI.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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