Thomas W. Donohue, 1927 - 2017

COLEMAN, DONOHUE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/19/2017 at 00:04:42

Sioux City Journal
20 August 2017

Denver, Colo., formerly Sioux City

Thomas W. Donohue, 90, of Denver, formerly of Sioux City, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Aug. 13, 2017, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Tommy will be buried in National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix. Memorial services, which are pending, will be held at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tommy was born on June 18, 1927, in Sioux City, the youngest son of John Joseph "Jiggs" and Margaret Josephine "Jo" (Coleman) Donohue. In 1945, Tommy graduated from Trinity High School in Sioux City. He was president of his senior class.

A proud veteran, Tommy served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II. After receiving his honorable discharge, he attended Iowa State College in Ames.

A longtime Denver cattleman, Tommy began his career in 1949 in Sioux City, where the Donohue family played a prominent role in establishing Sioux City as one of the nation's largest livestock markets of that era. During the glory days of the Sioux City Stockyards, Tommy's father, Jiggs, promoted his company, Rice Brothers, by bringing celebrities to Sioux City. For example, Jiggs brought baseball legends, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to the Stockyards Ball Park for a barnstorming game the year Tommy was born.

After working in the livestock business in both Sioux City and Sioux Falls, S.D., Tommy moved to Denver in 1953 to continue his career as a cattleman. In 1964, Tommy served as president of the Denver Stockyards Dealers Exchange. That same year, his brother, Ken, served as president of the Sioux City Livestock Exchange, making them "the only such brother-duo to head important organizations of the nation's major livestock markets in recent history,” according to the Sioux City Journal. Meanwhile, their brother Phil was a leading dealer at the Sioux Falls Stockyards.

An avid golfer, Tommy was a longtime member of Cherry Hills Country Club in the Denver area and Paradise Valley Country Club in the Phoenix area. At Cherry Hills, he won the club's legendary Hillsdilly member-guest golf tournament twice (in 1977 with his brother Phil and in 1970 with a different partner) and was named honorary Mr. Hillsdilly in 1976. When Cherry Hills hosted the 1978 U.S. Open, he served on the organizing committee.

For his accomplishments as a track star in high school, Tommy was inducted into the Sioux City Relays Hall of Fame in 2012. He was one of the "Four Horsemen" of Trinity High School who were crowned Iowa state champions in the mile medley relay in 1945.

Tommy was the beloved father of three children, Tom Jr. (Jeri) and Margaret, both of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Dan, deceased. To his dying day, he loved their mother, Georgia, his wife of more than 30 years, who also lives in Scottsdale. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Margaret's sons, Phil, Ben and Jack. Survivors also include his twin sister, Joanne Loughlin Sanderson of Cherokee, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jimmie, Ken, Jack and Phil.