Obituary of George William Donovan

George William Donovan, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, passed with peace and grace on July 30, 2016, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, with his family at his side. Born in 1951, in Neil’s Harbour, N.S., he was the son of the late Bill and Alice Donovan and was a longtime resident of New Waterford. George was fiercely proud of his long career as a milkman with Cape Breton Dairymen, and later Scotsburn Dairy. As one who loved people, he delighted in serving the communities of Marion Bridge, Grand Mira, and others that he had cherished since he was a boy. An accomplished woodsman and survivalist, George dedicated much of his life to helping others through his work with Cape Breton Ground Search and Rescue. As hardworking as he was handy, his uncompromising work ethic and insistence on things being done right, or not done at all, defined him nearly as impressively as his love for his family and loyalty to his friends. George is survived by his loving wife Winnie; son Jamie (Mary Kelly); siblings: Christina, Patsy (John), Tommy (Valerie), Mary (Elroy), Ellen (Francis), Jim (Marg), Alma (Michael) and Karen (Rupy); grandchildren: Chelsea, Jillian, and Joshua. Numerous nieces, nephews and friends will also sadly miss him. Besides his parents, George was also predeceased by his son Marshall; a sister who passed shortly after birth; parents-in-law: Wilfred and Hattie; brothers-in-law: Jimmy, Marshall, Stanley, Dave, and Frank; and sister-in-law: Jenny. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 1 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 380 Smith St., New Waterford. The funeral mass will be 10 a.m Tuesday August 2, 2016, at St. Leonard’s Church, 3180 Mount Carmel Ave., New Waterford. Interment will follow in Mount Carmel Cemetery. The family wishes to thank Drs. Tarakji, Wong, Wilks, McGory and the many ICU staff at Cape Breton Regional Hospital for their care and dedication to George during the last month of his life. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in George’s memory may be made to Cape Breton Ground Search and Rescue at www.cbsar.ca. Online condolences to the Donovan family may be expressed at www.vjmcgillivray.ca.