I know this is a bit late for a note. I had the distinct pleasure of coaching basketball with Coach Donahue at St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Houston. He was a great coach, and I learned a lot while assistant coaching with him. Now, almost a decade after his passing, I find myself thinking back to him. I’m now the head coach of basketball at St Anne’s Tomball, and I find myself trying to dig up the memories of working with him. I think of him each day- ‘What would Coach Donahue do?’  I miss him, and wish I’d had more time with him. I’m thankful for the time I had. Coach, you are missed!

From the sports officiating community, I'm going to greatly miss Gerry, as the honorable man, teacher, coach, friend, and person that he was!

The world of sports will be a shallower place with Jerry's absence.

He is missed but will always be remembered!

Mrs. Donohue and family:  I just watched the beautiful tribute to a wonderful gentleman! Gerry coached my two sons at St. Thomas in the early 1990's and I just recently became re-acquainted with him at St. Elizabeth's where he  coached my two grandchildren.  He greeted me at one of their games and said "you're Sean and Aron's mom".  I was amazed that he remembered names,  but that's the kind of man he was:  warm, loving, friendly, caring, and thoughtful.  I was deeply sorry to hear of his death, but I guess God needed him in Heaven!  My condolences are with you all; keep all those special memories in your hearts forever!  God bless and keep you.

I was so sorry to hear about Coach Donohue's passing.  He was my JV Football coach and of course, was there through the Varsity years as well.  Always made practice fun, even let me play LB a few times.   I even made a tackle first play behind the line of scrimmage . . . well, actually I had a guy by the foot hanging on for dear life.  Looked over at coach and he was really enjoying the moment.  Well, finally some team mates showed up and we finished the tackle.  Next play i took an ear hole shot pursuing a play . . . and that was my LB career.

Only time my name ever made the paper Coach happened to be in the press box at Rice.  Well, the sports writer for the Chronicle asked him about the players involved in a Touchdown - i evidently lucked into a block that cleared Russell to the end zone for the score.  Well, coach gave them Jame's name, the RB who scored, but made sure to tell the writer that my first name was "Kick", not Rick as was in the program.  Monday morning in the hall at STHS i hear someone yell "hey Kick" only to turn and see Coach Donohue with that mischievous grin he often sported.  

He made school and sports fun and he will be missed.  My prayers are with the entire Donohue family.

Dear Betty and family,
We share many wonderful memories of Gerry.
We'll make them last!

With love,
Ann and Dick

Having my Uncle & Aunt visit my family in Montana, seeing Yellowstone Park together.  Sitting by Rock Creek at our cabin in Red Lodge, Thank you for being with my family,.
Uncle Gerry, Thank you for randomly dropping by the cemetery to visit all the Donohues and my Dad.
I will visit Aunt Betty soon and drop by to see where you are resting. My love and appreciation for You.
Love and tell everyone hi for me,
Rest in Peace and Love of Christ,
Cathy Morton Hammer

Betty,
Thinking and praying for you and your family. Gerry was bigger than life
and will be greatly missed! Great Memories from the University of St. Thomas.
Rhonda Copeland Gracely


To Betty and family
Hearfelt condolences to you and yours.
Gerry came into my life back in the late 50s when he arrived at Michael Power after his father was transferred here from California.He showed us how basketball could be played and made friends so easily.
In a championship game against De La Salle,with only seconds to go,Gerry sank a bomb from half court that won the game for Power!
He and his family moved back to Texas in his senior year and I hitch hiked to Houston from Toronto to attend his graduation formal and he had arranged my date that night with the stunning,Mary Ellen Tupes.
Our lives kept intersecting mostly because Gerry made it his mission to keep in touch with his old friends.
His return trips to Toronto and mine to Houston are very special memories for me.
We will miss him terribly and remember him in our Masses and our daily prayers.Rest in eternal peace Tex!

Dear Mrs. Donohue (Betty), Brett, Traci, Drew and Family,
I taught  at St. Thomas High School from 1982-1991 and coached basketball with Gerry along with Steve Skabla and Mike Carrabine. I am so sorry for your loss. Please take solace in the fact that Gerry is in Heaven with Jesus right now. Gerry was a good hearted man, a mentor to me and a great basketball coach.  He is and will always be a part of the great memories that I have of a St. Thomas High School. 
May the Good Lord be with you all during this time of sorrow...
God Bless,

Mr. Charles (Chuck) Russ
Social Studies Instructor and Head Basketball Coach, Victory Christian School (Niles, Ohio)

Betty and Family;
"Lefty" was a great friend and teammate, we go back over 60 years. My sincere condolences. May God bless you and your family.
Jim Fonte

I send my profound condolences to Betty and Gerry's entire family.

I knew Gerry from the time he was a basketball teammate of mine at Michael Power H.S. in Toronto.  In his time, he was undoubtedly one of the best high school players in the city.   He was an incredibly loyal friend who made a great effort to stay in touch with me all these years.   I have a treasured photo of Gerry he sent me from Vietnam.  He was perhaps the most devout Catholic I have ever known.  Over the years, I saw him on occasions when he visited Toronto for reunions and spoke to him often by phone.  I last spoke to him about 10  days ago about plans for another trip to Toronto in September for as he called it, " the last round-up".   I am so deeply saddened by his loss and will greatly miss his friendship.  May  God bless you and keep you my friend. 

Im sad to of heard the news. I know him as coach Donahue from st.thomas high school. He chose me to be a courtside cutie along with 3 of my other e-gal friends. That meant alot to me and still does.
Prayers for him and his family.  And...
PLAY BALL COACH!!!

The first time I met Coach Donohue was the Spring of 1981.  I was at Davis High School and I had bought my team a replica of the Detroit Tigers baseball uniforms with the English D for Davis High School.  Coach Donohue, out of nowhere and not knowing who he was, starting yelling at us to go back to Michigan with our Detroit Tigers uniform and it was too hot for us down here in TX.  He then starting laughing and came up to introduce himself.  We had a good laugh and were friends ever since.  He was a great friend, coach, role model, and a St Thomas High School legend who helped influence thousands of kids.  The second story about Coach Donohue was many years later.  I was then at Bellaire High School.  He told me before a game we had at St Thomas to come into the basketball gym.  I told him I didn't have much time but he said to come in that he wanted to show me something.  I went into the gym and there were the World Champion Boston Celtics with Larry Bird and Robert Parish, practicing a day before they had to play the Rockets.  I got a big kick out of that- it was a thrill for me.  Gerry will not only be missed by the people at St Thomas but by everyone he was associated with and touched.  I will miss his fellowship, his friendly attitude, his jokes, and that great personality that made him the great man that he was.  You will always be remembered.  Sincerely Your Friend, Rocky P. Manuel

Coach Donohue was my grade school coach and since I lived right down the street my mom was more than happy to volunteer my services to Coach for any thing he needed help with.  I spent many hours working right along Coach Donohue and Coach McAfee doing manual labor and learned a lot.  I recall it snowed one year and Coach Donohue made the mistake of driving down the street only to have his old VW Bettle pelted with snowballs and then graciously circling the school to allow us to do it again.   Coach Donohue was a great basketball coach and educator to many young men thru the years and will be missed by those he taught and molded to work hard to achieve your dreams.  RIP Coach Donohue.  

OBITUARY

Gerald Francis "Gerry" Donohue

January 18, 1943 – May 3, 2018

The Settegast-Kopf Company at Sugar Creek

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