Carol Smith Donovan

Carol Smith Donovan

Carol Smith Donovan

May 30, 1949 – April 28, 2025

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Carol Smith Donovan. Carol passed away peacefully while surrounded by family after a courageous battle with ALS. Those who knew Carol described her as a very special and remarkable woman.

Carol grew up in Taylorville, Illinois before she earned a degree in French at the University of Illinois at Champaign. She was a member of the University of Illinois Foundation for 25 years and served on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Alumni Board for four years.

After graduating, Carol resided for many years in River Forest, Illinois where she joined the Children's Foundation and remained a member for 40 years. It was during these years that she began to delight many with her signature toffee. As the demand grew, she founded Smith & Donovan Confections.

Carol later joined the Republican State Central Committee where she served as the Vice Chairman for eight of those years. She represented Illinois's 7th Congressional District for an impressive 21 years, from 1997 to 2018. During her tenure, she brought insightful leadership and tireless dedication to the party's growth and success. She was actively involved in the Lincoln Series, an elite leadership training program that helps women learn the intricacies of serving in all levels of government. "Carol was a coach, a leader, and a strategist," Jack Dorgan, former Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party who served with Ms. Donovan remarked about his relationship with her. "She was an incredible person, friend, and advisor."

Through all her accomplishments she always said that family was of the most importance and cornerstone of her life. She was a masterful chef and loved to cook for her family and friends. You never knew if you would find her rolling noodles, baking pies and butter cookies or a quick batch of escargot or chateaubriand. She will be dearly missed by her life partner, Bill Kennedy; her son, Scott Suckow and his wife Melissa; her daughter, Emilie O'Neill and her husband Tony. Her legacy continues through her five cherished grandchildren: Oliver, Daphne, and Greta Suckow, and Caroline and Vivienne O'Neill, who brought immense joy to her life. She is survived by her sister Diane Savant, brother William Smith (Juanita), Aunt Joyce Kelley (Don), and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents William Sydney Smith and Frances Eloise Smith, and her beloved pets that she rescued throughout her life.
Her family is holding two services. A visitation will be held at First United Methodist Church in Taylorville, Illinois on May 4, 2025, from Noon to 2 pm with a funeral service at 2 pm. A celebration of life will be held at the University Club of Chicago on May 15th. Visitation will be from 2 pm to 3 pm with a service starting at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Carol's name to The Children's Foundation (http://www.tcfil.org/), reflecting her lifelong commitment to the well-being of children, or the Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation (https://www.garridostrayrescue.org/).