Jeremiah “Jere” M. Donovan
Jeremiah “Jere” M. Donovan, 81, of Harrisville passed away on Tuesday in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Jere was born June 29, 1937, in Hartford, Conn., to Marion Danahy Donovan and Jeremiah Michael Donovan.
He graduated from Wilbraham Academy in Wilbraham, Mass., and Boston University.
He retired from Emerson Electric as a water quality instrumentation salesman in 1997.
He was a member of East Main Presbyterian Church, Grove City, where he served as an elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher and past chairman of the Mission Committee.
Jere had a heart for missions. He was a member of the Sudan Group of the Shenango Presbytery, traveling to Sudan multiple times. He traveled to Zanesville, Ohio, Circleville, W.Va., Hartford, Conn., Johns Island, S.C., Reynosa, Mexico, and Camden, N.J., with church youth mission trips. He was a longtime volunteer at SCI in Mercer, leading Wednesday afternoon Bible studies.
Jere proudly served as mayor of Harrisville for eight years and as a councilman for 12 years. He was a former president of the Butler County Borough Association, the Wolf Creek Council of Governments and the Harrisville Lions Club, where for many years, he organized the town Halloween parade and Easter egg hunts. He was an active volunteer while his sons were in Cub Scouts.
He enjoyed spending time with his family, especially on the beach at Emerald Isle, N.C. He spent the last 10 winters with his wife in Indian Shores, Fla.
Jere enjoyed gardening, reading and collecting and winding his clocks.
He and his wife enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and the world, visiting 20 countries.
Jere appreciated meeting new people every day. There were no strangers in life, only friends Jere hadn't met yet. He had a quick wit, never took himself too seriously and above all else, loved and cared for his family.
Left behind to treasure his memory are his beloved wife of 46 years, Novelle Hays Donovan of Harrisville; his four children, Jeremy (Alma) Donovan of Austin, Texas, Brian (Erin) Donovan of Towson, Md., Colin (Alexandra) Donovan of Dubai, UAE, and Meghan (Michael) Proia of Simsbury, Conn.
He also leaves behind six grandchildren, Keegan, Kaylee, Evelyn, Isla, Connor and Fiona and another grandchild arriving this fall.
Also surviving are his brother, John (Phyllis) Donovan of Wethersfield, Conn.; his sister, Sara-Lloyd (Peter) Mulligan of Vernon, Conn.; his cousin, Mary-Lloyd Brainard of Stonington, Conn.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
DONOVAN — Visitation for Jeremiah “Jere” M. Donovan, who died Tuesday, March 12, 2019, will take place from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Cunningham Funeral Home, 306 Bessemer Ave., Grove City.Additional visitation will be held from 12:30 until 1:20 p.m. Sunday in the Welcome Center of East Main Presbyterian Church, 125 E. Main St., Grove City.Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday in the church.Burial will take place in Prairie Cemetery, Harrisville.If desired, memorial donations may be given to the Presbytery of Shenango, 4197 New Castle Road, Pulaski, PA 16143 to support the Nile Theological College and Gereif Bible School in Sudan. Memorial donations may also be given to the Slippery Rock Community Library, 316 N. Main St., P.O. Box 25, Slippery Rock, PA 16057. In honor of Jere, his family would encourage you to extend an act of kindness to someone in need.
