Richard "Dick" John Donahue

DONAHUE, NOLAN, MOORE, ALDERSON, NELL, DAVIS, BESCH, CAMARIGG, CASENTINO, POMPER

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 4/3/2023 at 09:12:31

Richard "Dick" John Donahue, of Iowa City, passed away on March 25, 2023, at the age of 76, after a sudden illness. Born on October 6, 1946, in Emmetsburg, IA, he was the son of Jay and Johanna (Nolan) Donahue. Dick grew up on the family farm with ten siblings. He graduated from Emmetsburg Catholic High School - where he was affectionately nicknamed “Dooley” - in 1965 and later attended the University of Iowa, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1971.

Dick was married to Dianna Moore (Alderson) from 1969 to 1989, having three children: Matthew Jay; children: Conner, Jaden, Logan, Lucas, Lucas John (Tracy); children: LJ, Cael, Rowan, and Stacey Nell (Mitchell); children: Linus, Finnegan. He then married Penelope Davis from 1993 to 2017, becoming a stepfather to Daniel; children: James, Milo, Christopher “Kif”, and Andrew.

Dick was a construction supervisor with McComas-Lacina Construction for over 30 years, where he built strong community ties and left his mark on many projects in Johnson County, Iowa. It would be difficult to travel a mile in the Iowa City area without passing a building Dick didn’t have a role in its formation or renovation. Some of his personal favorites over the years included: Iowa River Power Restaurant, the Englert Theatre renovation, Newman Catholic Center, The Airliner, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program building, the West High School Auditorium, Coral IV Theatres, the original Bread Garden, Lucas Elementary School, MidAmerican Energy Remodel, the Jefferson Building remodel, UICCU (GreenState) Credit Union on Mormon Trek, Trinity Episcopal Church, Iowa State Bank (MidWestOne) on Keokuk Street, Hon Industries, and many more. He had a passion for architecture and studying design. He personally renovated every property he ever owned with creativity and care, from his first acreage on the east side of Iowa City to his last home in River Heights, blending his balanced aesthetic of antique and modern, especially in his kitchens. He was notorious for taking pieces of projects home that he carried with him indefinitely, like a concrete lantern that sat in every yard wherever he lived.

His vast knowledge of the construction project industry continued after his retirement in a civic volunteer capacity. He was a current board member on the Johnson County Zoning Board of Adjustments, along with head of the Water Board with the River Heights Property Owners Association. He was so proud to serve his neighbors and community.

Dick was an incredibly creative soul, with many different vehicles to project his creativity. Anyone that knew him knew of his love and passion for cooking. He shared this craft with the countless people he hosted over the years. He enjoyed cultivating strong friendships with his neighbors, with a door that was always open and welcoming. Feeding people was a big part of how he showed love, to gather people together over a meal. He had an appreciation for the craft, respecting the process for best results, and sourcing the best ingredients. He was especially known for his homemade pizza. He had an affection for painting in his early years and would pick it back up from time to time throughout his life. He was also a knowledge junkie, always dipping into the written word, you’d always catch him reading through the latest National Geographic or Time magazine as a lifetime subscriber. Regardless of his level of talent on any medium, he had the utmost respect for those that created art in any capacity.

Dick loved the outdoors, especially when he had the opportunity to be on the water. He spent many a summer and holiday at family reunions that involved all-day canoe trips and camping. One of his proudest accomplishments was building a wood canoe by hand and beaming at the countless compliments he would get passing strangers on a river. He always kept a garden, a large compost pile and too many plants to count. He kept a bird book at bay, with binoculars always read to spot and share who was sharing his space. He always held an adventurous spirit, whether it was building his children a 3-story treehouse or his grandchildren a zipline in his backyard.

He was so proud of his Irish lineage and enjoyed the opportunity to visit his homeland later in life, along with trips to Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and many trips to New York City with family. He valued experiencing different cultures and environments. He spent a lot of time at auctions sourcing antiques and had several interesting collections, including antique marbles. He was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan. He once broke his ankle rushing into the house to watch the Iowa men’s basketball team play UConn and refused to go to the hospital until after the game. “Alright Hawks!” was his mantra.

Dick was a lifelong caretaker for everything around him. He showed up for his family and friends. He was a mentor and role model to his children, nieces and nephews and was so proud of all his siblings. He took on the role of caring for his older sister later in life. He always had pets and his two biggest companions at the end of his life were his dogs Teddy and Xander. He was an ardent supporter of human rights, social services and believed that society had a duty to take care of those who needed help. He lived that belief every day.

It’s hard to talk about Dick without noting his love for red wine. Unlikely he ever found a bottle Cabernet he didn’t like (never Merlot!), no cup was ever discriminated against to hold what he considered liquid gold.

He attended the infamous Wadena Rock Festival in Iowa, where 40,000 people descended on a small farm in 1970 and was part of the Vietnam War protests on the University of Iowa Campus.

He will be missed by so many whose lives he touched over the years.

In addition to his children, 11 grandchildren, and 31 nieces and nephews Dick is survived by his sister Therese “Mike” Donahue and Jeannie (Rich) Besch. He was preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Jim Donahue, Ronald Donahue, Tom (Wendy) Donahue, William Donahue, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Camarigg, Jo Casentino and Patricia “Lou” (Mike) Pomper.

A celebration of Dick’s life will be held from 2pm-6pm on Saturday, April 29th at the Graduate Hotel Restaurant in Downtown Iowa City; 210 S. Dubuque St. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed toward the Community Foundation of Johnson County in support of the community wide Better Together 2030 pillar initiative that directly supports championing the natural environment in the Iowa City area. Dick was a large proponent of clean sustainable environmental practices and renewable energy; Dick’s family appreciates any support towards those important issues. Community Foundation of Johnson County, Dick Donahue memorial. Mail checks to: Community Foundation of Johnson County Memo Line: Memorial for Richard Donahue, 501 12th Ave, Suite 102 Coralville, IA 52241

How ever you knew him: “Dad, Grandpa, Dick, Uncle Dick, or Dooley” everyone has a story about him. We would encourage you to please share your favorite on his memorial page so we can feature them at his celebration in April.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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