Miriam L. Donovan

Miriam L. Donovan, of the East Mountain section, died Wednesday at Hospice Community Care, Dunmore. She and her husband, William, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary today.

Born Dec. 28, 1919, in Scranton, daughter of the late Joseph and Rose Miles McCarthy, she was a graduate of St. John the Evangelist High School and Lackawanna Business College and attended Marywood College. She was employed as a tax preparer for 29 years by H&R Block and was former manager of its West Scranton office. She won several awards for her achievements at H&R Block. Later, she opened her own tax preparation office in the Bank Towers Building in downtown Scranton.

Mrs. Donovan was a former president of the Scranton Jaycettes and was president of the Lackawanna Ladies Club. For many years, she was president of the Lackawanna Arts Council and conducted the annual Lackawanna Arts Festival at Courthouse Square. She was an active volunteer to the campaign of former Gov. William Scranton and conducted the first South Scranton rally for him in his 1960 campaign for U.S. Congress. An avid disciple of novelist William Faulkner, she participated in a number of Faulkner workshops in Oxford, Miss. She read all of his novels. She was a member of the Scranton Canoe Club and Nativity of Our Lord Church.

In November 1996, she was seriously injured when she was struck by a truck while crossing Wyoming Avenue. Although she incurred life-threatening fractures and many injuries, she fought back to a near complete recovery. She traveled extensively with her husband and took cruises on the QE2 and the Queen Mary 2. She also attended Penn State's homecoming every year.

The family wishes to extend thanks to the staff of Hospice Community Care, Mountain Rest Nursing Home and the John Heinz Institute for the care rendered. They also thank Dr. Thomas Minora for his care. She was a real fighter and lived every moment to the fullest. Nobody loved her community more than Miriam. A tree she brought back from her beloved Mississippi and planted in her front yard is a testament to her colorful life.

Also surviving are three children, Patricia Ann Fox, Throop; William, Fairhope, Ala.; and Robert, Clarks Summit; three grandchildren, Wemberly Fox, Throop; and Sean and Neil, both of Fairhope.

The funeral will be Saturday at 9 a.m. from the August J. Haas Funeral Home Inc., 202 Pittston Ave., with Mass at 9:30 in Nativity Of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St., to be celebrated by the Rev. Michael Bryant, pastor. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery.

Friends may call Friday, 5 to 8 p.m. To leave an online condolence, visit www.augusthaasfu neralhome.com.