A staunch advocate of news media died last week. Jim Donahue served in many roles at MDDC: executive director, government affairs specialist, Foundation Board president, and visionary creator of the Press Services.
Jim came to the Press Association in 1995 after a two-decade stint at the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), formerly the American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA). He brought a wealth of knowledge and energy to his tenure at MDDC which lasted until 2003. Unable to let the news business go, Jim then volunteered for another two years as the eyes of the Association in Annapolis, monitoring all of the bills introduced in the Maryland Legislature.
He inherited a “horse and buggy operation, with a lone clerical employee and a program consisting largely of two meetings and a golf tournament each year” as described by Jim Keat in his nomination of Donahue for the Distinguished Service award in 2007. Under Jim’s tenure, the Association spun off its very successful Press Service division, which today continues to sell advertising into member publications and helps support the mission and goals of the Press Association. He also created professional development series, the Freedom of Information project that continues as the Sunshine Week project, and our popular summer internship program.
In 2006, he stepped in at a critical point in the Press Foundation’s development to volunteer as its president while the foundation defined its role within MDDC. During his four-year presidency, he helped stabilize funding for the Foundation and strengthened the internship program.
Jim remained an invaluable advisor and supporter to his successors at the Association and Foundation. The formal obituary, provided by his daughter, Moira, is below.
James (Jim) Edward Donahue, age 85, passed away on March 25, 2023, in Reston, VA. Jim was born January 30, 1938, in Canandaigua, NY. His parents were James Thomas and Elizabeth (Sherry) Donahue. He predeceases his five siblings: Sheila Lucey, Tom (Wanna) Donahue, Mary Liberatore, Betty (Patrick) DeRosa and Diane Hamed. He was predeceased by brothers-in-law: James Lucey and Frank Liberatore.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Louise (Parnin) Donahue; his three children: James Donahue, Meghan Donahue, Moira Lail, and their respective spouses, Stephanie Nobbe, Jason Chernoff, Travis Lail; and his three beloved grandchildren: Finn Donahue, Rory Lail and Louise Lail.
Jim grew up in Geneva, NY. After graduation from DeSales High School he joined the U.S. Navy. Upon his honorable discharge in 1958, Jim enrolled at the University of Notre Dame and worked as a reporter for the South Bend Tribune.
In 1963, he moved to Springfield, MA, began working as a reporter for the Springfield Daily News and met his wife, Mary Louise (Molly). They married in Cleveland, OH and remained married for nearly 58 years. Together, they quit their jobs and traveled widely across Europe. Upon returning to Springfield, Jim began working as Press Secretary for Massachusetts Congressman, Silvio Conte. He and his young family later relocated to Silver Spring, MD, where he worked as the Chief of Staff in the congressman’s Capitol Hill office. Jim loved the intersection of politics and journalism and described his years working on Capitol Hill as the greatest job of his life. In 1971, his family moved to Reston, VA, where he would live for the next 50 years. He loved Reston, building their family home, landscaping the yard and battling the RHOA. In 1973, he left the Hill to begin his career at the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), formerly the American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA), where he worked for 20 years, first in Government Affairs, then, as the editor of Presstime, and later as a Senior Vice President of Communications. He retired from his career in the newspaper business, after serving for 10 years as Director of the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association.
As a dedicated husband and father, he was a fixture on sidelines and pool decks, coaching and cheering for his children and applauding their musical performances in auditoriums. Jim loved reading the newspaper cover to cover, every day, wherever he happened to be. In retirement, he and Molly traveled to China, Greece, Portugal, Budapest, and Alaska. Together, they enjoyed winters in Delray Beach, Florida, swimming in the ocean, taking long exercise walks and enjoying cocktail hour on the patio. Jim was an avid reader, sudoko puzzler, and cigar smoker. He had many wonderful friends with whom he played poker and golf and shared many laughs. In his final decade, Jim was a devoted caregiver for Molly after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He will be missed by many. We hope that he is at peace and not editing his obituary with his signature green pen.
A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church, in Reston, VA, with a reception to follow. On Monday, April 3, 2023, a wake will be held from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, at Adams-Green Funeral Home in Herndon, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Jim’s name may be directed to: The Alzheimer’s Association
