DANIEL JAMES (BUD) DONOVAN

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DANIEL JAMES (BUD) DONOVAN Daniel James Donovan, beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died peacefully on the morning of Wednesday, May 30, 2007, in Toronto. He was 92. Daniel was born on June 8, 1914, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Affectionately called Bud by his friends and family, he followed a strict golfer's diet; he lived on greens as much as possible. Already a natural at the age of 9, he quickly became an accomplished amateur golfer as a teenager and burst into prominence in the early 1930s. Having won the Manitoba Junior title in 1929 and the Manitoba Open in 1933, he was one of eight Canadian amateur golfers sent by the Royal Canadian Golf Association on a Goodwill Tour of Britain in 1935. He was the only one to reach the fifth round of the British Amateur Championship. He made quite an impression with his fine swing and long distance hitting. The press called him the last of the gallant Canadians. The most outstanding performance of his golf career came later in 1935. In the first General Brock Open Championship - a tournament open to amateurs and professionals - he was runner-up to American professional, Tony Manero, beating every other U.S. and Canadian professional player. He was also the first Canadian to receive a golf scholarship to a U.S. university (University of Notre Dame in Indiana). During the Second World War, as a naval officer, he met his wife Annette, one of Air Canada's first stewardesses, at a dance at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. By the end of the war, Bud Donovan had given up serious competitive golf and moved east, to work in the insurance business. Always quick to tell an entertaining story, he excelled in his lifelong career in sales. He was a member of Scarboro Golf and Country Club and gave back his enjoyment and passion for golf by working as a publicity officer for the Ontario Golf Association. He was also a colour commentator for major Canadian golf events on CFRB radio in Toronto and for CBC radio and television for 15 years. Bud is survived by his three daughters, Anne Schwalm (Andrew Schwalm), Louise Donovan (Willi Vogl) and Nora Donovan-Ward (Julian Ward); four grandchildren, Natalie Petti (Tom Petti), Dr. Stephanie Jacobs (Dr. Larry Jacobs), Kimberley McKeown and Erin McKeown; and four great-grandchildren, Donovan, Paige, Elle and Lawrence Jacobs. Bud joins his loving wife Annette, who passed away in 1997. His ways were gentle and his sense of humour was understated. Bud had an ideal golfing temperament, a quiet and unassuming manner, and an infectious smile. His was a life of many great moments both on and off the course. A private mass and celebration of his life was held on June 2, 2007. His family would like to thank his longtime physician, Jocelyn Charles, and all of the staff at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Veterans' Residence for their exemplary care and support. Donations to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Geriatric Research or Schulich Heart Centre gratefully accepted in his memory.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 16, 2007