WILLIAM HOWARD DONOVAN JR.: Always
Making Lemonade
Cmdr. William Howard Donovan Jr. was a rising star in
the Navy who had just been promoted to commander. At 37,
the Nunda, N.Y., native was in the "pipeline."
"It's not just a loss for his family but for the Navy
and the country," said Cmdr. Alan Jarusewskin, a Naval
Academy classmate and Pentagon colleague.
The two friends graduated from the Naval Academy in
1986 and found themselves working in the same office at
the Pentagon years later. Commander Donovan flew in the
Persian Gulf war and served as a tactical officer on the
U.S.S. George Washington for two years in the
mid-90's.
Commander Jarusewskin said his friend was a fun-loving
and athletic family man who adored his wife and three
children. Commander Donovan played in the Pentagon's
lunch-time soccer league and passed his love of the game
on to his children.
"He always had this wry smile, even when things were
down," Commander Jarusewskin said. "You know how they say
making lemonade out of lemons? He was that guy."
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