Mark J. "Dunno" Donovan

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mark J. Donovan. Affectionately known as "Markey" to his beloved wife of 34 years, Annie Donovan, "Dad" to his three children Cory Donovan, Adrienne Sterling (Adam), and Kyle Donovan, and "DUNNO" to all, he passed away peacefully on May 8, 2023 at 8:45pm, completely surrounded by his family and loved ones in the days leading up to his departure. Mark was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Mary Donovan, and siblings Jerry, Tom, Sheila, and Brian. In addition to his wife, three children, and grandchildren, Olen and Rosemary, he is survived by his brother Denny (Sue), sisters Eileen Heslin (Tim), Lisa O'Dwyer (Jerry), and a large extended family.
Those lucky enough to know him - and there were many - recognized Dunno as a larger than life, loud as hell, drum banging, Guinness and Jameson drinking friend to everyone. Although he was only 63 at the time of his death, he lived more life in the short time he was with us than most get to experience in a lifetime. Sadly, after a complicated four and a half year struggle with multiple myeloma, he succumbed to the disease and was able to finally find some well-deserved peace.
As the adopted son of Art and Mary, he grew up on the West Side of Binghamton alongside his seven siblings. After graduating high school, Dunno spent most of his career in construction, taking pride in all of his work - from humble beginnings in sheet metal fabrication to supervising construction sites, training apprentices, and eventually becoming the Deputy Commissioner of Public Works for the City of Binghamton. In his days as a foreman, he would often scribble hidden notes on the ductwork being installed in new buildings, like time capsules for future generations of true craftsmen and heart-on-their-sleeve workers like himself to discover and appreciate someday.
After a romance stemming from a chance encounter at a Carmen Miranda Spiedie Night where the two fell head over heels for one another, Dunno married his sweetheart Annie in 1988, adopting her two children Cory and Adrienne, whom he loved as his own. His paternal son Kyle was born in 1990, and in the winter of 1996 the family returned to Mark's childhood neighborhood on the West Side of Binghamton.
Like anyone who came into contact with him, even if only briefly, it was Dunno's zeal for life and his appetite for living it to its fullest that initially attracted Annie to him, and that same passion continued into his later years. Dunno picked up the bass drum in 2011, an instrument with a dominating sound loud enough to match his personality and as imposing as his physical presence. And like the beat of the drum, he became the heart of one of the local bagpipe bands, The Broome County Celtic Pipes and Drums. Dunno was an embodiment of their camaraderie and their passion to show everyone a good time. After years of experience in both his home and work life, he was a natural leader, and years of banging ductwork seemed to prepare him to be a natural at banging the drum.
Most of all, Dunno was known for his capacity to love, to love fiercely like few can, with particular devotion and adoration for his family. Though he left us early in life, he lived long enough to spend over 3 years as "Grampy" to his grandson Olen, whom he never stopped talking about. For someone passionate in the pursuit of living life to its fullest, it says a lot that he loved his wife, children, and grandchildren more than life itself. His granddaughter Rosemary came into the world just two weeks after his passing. If you're superstitious, then it's not hard to believe that the world was just not big enough for the both of them, and that Dunno left this Earth to usher his granddaughter safely to the arms of her parents from the other side.
A memorial service will be held to celebrate the life of Dunno at St. Patrick's Church, 9 Leroy Street, Binghamton, NY on June 9th at 11:00 am. Please consider condolences in the form of donations to the Alzheimer's Association to fund the advancement of research, awareness, and a cure to the cognitive disease that Mark's wife, Annie, is now facing.
Immediately following the memorial service will be a reception with location details to be announced at the conclusion of the Mass. Friends and family are invited to share in the love, the memories, and the lessons from Dunno on what it means to live.
The Mass will be livestreamed at tinyurl.com/12w5eun or by going to https://sta-sp.org/