Richard M. Donovan

Funeral services for Richard Martin Donovan, 87, of Lufkin will be held Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in the Zavalla Cemetery.

Richard was born April 8, 1936, in Jasper, Texas to Vina (Ener) and Allen T. Donovan and died, with family by his side, Monday, February 19, 2024 at Hospice in the Pines Inpatient Unit at CHI St. Luke’s Memorial Hospital in Lufkin.

Richard grew up in Zavalla, Texas hunting, fishing, raising cattle, riding horses, and playing basketball. As a youngster, Richard was such an avid cattleman, he had his own registered cattle brand in Angelina County. Along with his own grit and determination, he credits much of his cattle-raising success to Aaron Barge, owner of Barge’s Store, who regularly offered advice and generously transported his cattle to the sale barn in Lufkin.

In high school, Richard participated in the Houston “Fat” Stock Show and Rodeo calf scramble and successfully captured a calf, which won him a cash prize toward purchasing a calf to show the following year. With the prize money, Richard purchased a Jersey dairy heifer and named her Angelina Xenia Violet, with whom he won Reserve Champion and Showmanship at the “Fat Stock Show”.

Richard was a standout basketball player at Zavalla High School and loved competing against lifelong friend and exceptional basketball player Elvin “Buddy” Lowery of Huntington.

Richard’s childhood home was less than five minutes from the Neches River, and its bottomland hardwood forests afforded the youngster scores of opportunities to explore, camp, and marvel at the wildlife supported by this unique habitat. During hunting season, Richard could be found mornings, evenings, and weekends in the Neches River bottomlands hunting squirrels with good friend Denman Dunkin. The twosome hunted together for nearly two decades. When he wasn’t hunting, Richard fished the Neches River and often reminisced of frying fish in a coffee can over a campfire on the river’s sandy beaches.

When Richard was 18, he met and fell in love with Bonnie Ruth Berry, a beautiful 16-year-old girl living in Patroon, Texas. Eva Berry Farley, Bonnie’s sister, set the two up on a blind date, and two years later they were married on August 18, 1956.

Early in their marriage, Richard and Bonnie worked alongside Richard’s father Allen T. Donovan and Bonnie’s sister Eva at Magcobar, a drilling mud company, also known as “The Clay Plant” in Zavalla.

Richard graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1961.

Love Wood Products in Diboll began Richard’s long-term employment in the wood products industry. It was during his service to Love Wood Products he was transferred to Waco, Texas where he and Bonnie welcomed a daughter, Gina, into the family before moving back to Diboll. A short while after returning to Diboll, Richard began working at Temple Industries, which later evolved into Temple Inland. After a 19-year career with the company, Richard retired and began working with Bonnie at Donovan Real Estate, Inc.

Richard and Bonnie worked tirelessly and diligently in making Donovan Real Estate, Inc. a successful endeavor, which indeed it was for 21 years.

When Richard and his daughter, Gina, learned of the impending environmentally catastrophic reservoir projects slated for the Neches River, the two became a formidable team, rallying support from across Texas to defeat Texas Water Development Board projects. Along with many other conservation advocates, the father-daughter team’s work ultimately culminated in the designation of the Neches River National Wildlife refuge and recognition in: Texas Parks & Wildlife Documentary, Texas Monthly, Guideposts, Houston Chronicle, and scores of other print and news media. Richard received multiple conservation awards for the efforts, including, but not limited to National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Service Award, Sierra Club’s Evelyn R. Edens Award, Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution Conservation Award, Big Thicket Association’s R. E. Jackson Conservation Award, and, along with Bonnie, Texas Conservation Alliance’s Ned and Genie Fritz Lifetime Achievement Award and Lufkin Association of Realtors Lifetime Achievement Award.

As a result of the Neches River Canoe Expedition in 2001, Richard’s diary of the trip blossomed into the highly successful Paddling the Wild Neches book published by Texas A&M University Press.

Richard was a devoted Christian and served Central Church of Christ as Deacon of Marketing until his health declined.

Survivors include his beautiful, devoted wife of 67.5 years, Bonnie Ruth Berry Donovan of Lufkin; daughter, Gina Donovan of Lufkin; niece, Denise Rhames of Zavalla and her children Jason and Jarret; nephew, Troy Lakey of Pollok and his daughter Hannah; brother, Gary Williamson of Pasadena and his children Gregory and Robin of Zavalla, Stephanie, David, and Michelle of Pasadena; cousins, Weldon and Beth McDaniel of Hemphill; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Scharlotte Short and Adavene Lakey; nephew, Ronnie Lakey; brothers-in-law, Sambo Farley, Curtis P. Berry, and Vernon Lakey; sister-in-law, Eva Farley; and special friends, Bo Dunkin, Denman Dunkin, Bill Glasgow, Herbert Harris, Frank Stevenson, Jack W. Sweeny, and G.P. Bourrous.

Pallbearers will be Wes Basham, Dick Bodeker, Murlin Graham, Mike Hartman, Lee Mann, Tom Selman, Adrian Van Dellen, and Rick Watkins.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jon Anderson, John Havard, Mickey Kitchens, Elvin “Buddy” Lowery, Cary Modisett, Kelsie Roach, Bill Simpson, John Sloan, Paul White, Troy Lakey, Jason and Jarret Rhames, and Richard’s friends at Pinnacle Assisted Living Center.

A very special thank you to Hospice in the Pines for their outstanding, compassionate care of Richard and his family.

Memorial contributions may be made to Texas Conservation Alliance, P. O. Box 822554, Dallas, Texas 75382-2554 or Hospice in the Pines, 1504 W. Frank Avenue, Lufkin, Texas 75904.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Live webcasting of the services may be viewed, and memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.