Patrick Donovan

DONOVAN, PATRICK JAMES of Shelby Township passed away on Memorial Day, with family by his side, after a strong fight with cancer. During the Vietnam War, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and this decision would change the course of his life. By chance, he was stationed in Orlando and there he met the love of his life, Janet. He later was offered an assignment in Hawaii that allowed him to hike and explore Oahu, a time that he spoke of often as a favorite spot. He achieved the rank of Airman 1st Class and his service offered him the opportunity to go back to college. After marrying Janet and building a life with her, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University and later earned his MBA at the University of Detroit. He realized that he had a gift for numbers and worked at Chrysler for 35 years as a financial analyst until his retirement. In his childhood, Pat’s membership in the Boy Scouts of America led to a lifelong love of the outdoors. Pat took his family on camping trips throughout the Midwest, often accompanied by the family of his younger brother, Michael. He loved dogs, and volunteered as a trainer for the Humane Society for a decade. Together, he and Janet adopted rescue dogs and shared their love for helping them. His passion was knife collecting and knife education, for which he presented award winning displays at knife shows in the Midwest and the South. He served as Secretary of the National Knife Collectors Club, Treasurer of Buck Collectors Club, President of the Wolverine Knife Club and wrote numerous articles for knife publications. He was an avid traveler, vacationing throughout the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Mexico. He and Janet also ventured throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. Their adventures led them to places as unique as China and Ireland, always searching for new places to explore. An anniversary trip to France in 2013 was especially memorable as they were able to visit the beaches of Normandy and the site of the D-Day invasion which made a lasting impact. He is survived by his beloved wife Janet of 58 years. He was the loving father of Kimberly (Paul) Baker and Sean Donovan, proud grandfather of Justin and Megan Baker, dearest brother of Terry (Bonnie) Donovan, Michael (Sandy) Donovan, the late Judy Burdick and the late Wendy (the late Dennis) Wellman. He is also remembered by many loving nieces and nephews. He will be buried in the Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township, along with the ashes of his beloved dog Suzie, near his parents Art and Rose. Visitation Friday 3-8pm. Funeral Saturday 11:30am at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons 54880 Van Dyke at 25 Mile (SHELBY TOWNSHIP). Donations are welcome to the American Cancer Society. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Share memories with the family at their "On Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.

Patrick Donovan

January 17, 1943 - May 26, 2025