1953 - 2026
He leaves behind his wife of 39 years, Carol O’Brien Donovan; son Ryan, and fiancée, Maggie Chan; son Alex and wife Beth; and three-week-old granddaughter Mae, who truly brought a smile to his face. Jack is also lovingly remembered by many niece/nephews, cousins, and dear friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Peg (Margaret Bresnahan) and Joe (John) Donovan, and his sister, Kathleen O’Connell.
Born in Lawrence, Jack attended Central Catholic High School before continuing his education and earning a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. One of his proudest professional accomplishments was receiving the Professional Engineer certification, a goal he worked hard to achieve.
Throughout his career, Jack brought dedication and expertise to every role he held. In addition to working at several private engineering firms, he especially enjoyed working on The Big Dig, at the MBTA, and teaching at Wentworth Institute of Technology. He was also deeply committed to his community and served on the Holliston Planning Board for several years.
Jack cherished time spent with family and friends and always looked forward to spending summers in Salisbury Beach, enjoying playing forty-fives, body surfing, and drinking G&Ts. He embraced an active lifestyle and was a lover of golf, tennis, skiing, and music. A lifelong guitarist, he played guitar throughout his life, most memorably as lead singer of the band JetLag. Jack also loved all things horseracing and Boston sports and never missed the chance to follow a deep playoff run.
Visitation will be held on Friday, January 23rd, from 10:00–11:45 a.m. at Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. A funeral home service will follow at 12 pm.
In lieu of flowers, to honor Jack’s memory, donations may be made to Compassionate Care ALS, ccals.org, a truly wonderful organization that helped Jack and his family through a very tough year.
