Mary Beth Donovan

UntitledMARY BETH DONOVAN
JANUARY 29, 1916 -
JULY 1, 2009

Mary Beth Donovan, of Pensacola, passed away peacefully in the arms of her loved ones on the afternoon of July 1, 2009.
Mary Elizabeth Veronica O'Sullivan was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on January 29, 1916 to Daniel Ambrose and Anne Kilcoyne O'Sullivan, the ninth of their 12 children. As a young woman, she traveled to Baldwin County, Alabama to visit one of her older sisters. There she fell in love with the South and made it her home. Shortly thereafter, she married and began raising her seven children, and in 1955, she and her husband moved their family to Pensacola where she resided until her death.
As a young mother, Mrs. Donovan joined the elite rank of working women when she began a sales career with Beauty Counselor. After only ten years with the company, she was offered the position of Vice President ­ a position she did not accept because it would have meant moving her family away from the Pensacola area. Instead, she found a new calling in the field of real estate and, in a very short time, became a powerful force throughout the Northwest Florida/Southwest Alabama area. She was instrumental in the development and growth of this region for more than 40 years, and along with her husband, John, opened Donovan Realty in 1976. Her community involvement was extensive as well, including service in the Fiesta of Five Flags, the Society of the Debutante Cotillion and on the Board of Mental Health Association.
All who knew Mary Beth Donovan understood her lifelong faith in God and the Blessed Mother, as well as her deep devotion to the Catholic Church. She was a Eucharistic Minister, long-time member of St. Paul Catholic Church, board member for Catholic Charities and a member of the Diocesan Catholic Education Foundation for many years. In recognition of her service, Mrs. Donovan was honored by Pope John Paul II as a member of the Equestrian Order of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Her interests were many and included swimming, running, gardening, cooking, biking, singing, traveling, playing tennis and skiing on both the snow and on her beloved Bayou Texar. But most of all, Mrs. Donovan – or "Gling" as she was affectionately named – loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, always making each and every one of them feel as if her world revolved around theirs. She was a woman of faith, family and fun, and will not be forgotten by anyone whose life she touched.
Mrs. Donovan was preceded in death by her parents; 11 sisters and brothers; first husband, James W. Cleverdon; two sons, John C. Donovan, Jr. and Stephen B. Donovan; grandson, Ashley Donovan; and great-granddaughter, Anna Grace Johnson.
Mrs. Donovan will be greatly missed by her loving husband, John Cleary Donovan, Sr.; her sons, Fred Donovan, Sr. (Susie Spellman), Tim Donovan (Wyette Warren), and Marty Donovan (Helene Tringas); her daughters, Millicent Donovan Charbonnet (Sid Charbonnet III) and Elizabeth Donovan Whibbs (Vince Whibbs, Jr.); her 22 grandchildren, Mary Donovan McClellan (Jim), Fred Donovan, Jr. (Leslie), John P. Donovan (Lisa), Mona Charbonnet Musser (John), Sid Charbonnet IV (Boo), Elizabeth Charbonnet Talmadge (Dan), Millicent Charbonnet, Mary Beth Whibbs Thompson (Mark), Vinnie Whibbs III (Jenny), Donovan Whibbs (Suzanne), Justin Donovan, Tim Donovan, Colleen Donovan, Brian Donovan, Anna Donovan Johnson (Rick), Ryan Donovan, Jennifer Donovan Vought (Bob), John "Jack" Donovan III (Sarah), Patrick Donovan, Kate Donovan Hartman (Josh), Joe Donovan, and Margeaux Donovan; and her 34 (soon to be 35) great-grandchildren, all of whom she dearly loved. Additional family members left to mourn her loss are Ginger Soderlind Donovan Barnhill, Dee Renfroe and a host of nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to Mrs. Donovan's visitation to be held on Monday, July 6, 2009, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, located at 140 W. Government Street in Pensacola, FL.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with Fr. Pat Foley celebrant. Burial will immediately follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mrs. Donovan's grandsons will serve as her pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be offered in memory of Mary Beth Donovan to one of the following charities: Covenant Hospice (5041 N. 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504) or St. Joseph Catholic Church Medical Screening Facility (P.O. Box 13566, Pensacola, FL 32591).
The family wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the Haven of Our Lady of Peace for Mrs. Donovan's long-term care, and to Covenant Hospice for the care and compassion she received during her final days.
HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements.