DR. J. ROBERT “BOB” DONOVAN
Lieutenant, United States Navy
T H E I R H E R O S T O R Y
Our Father, Our Hero
Born in Goshen on October 10, 1924, Dr. J. Robert Donovan was a lifelong resident with deep roots in the community. Growing up, Bob worked in his father’s service station and funeral home, building connections with the town he would spend his life serving.
Bob volunteered for the United States Navy during World War II, served as a corpsman, and left the service as a lieutenant junior grade. Following his military service, he attended dental school and became an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. For more than 30 years, he ran a successful oral surgery practice in Orange County and, for much of that time, was the region’s only facial trauma doctor.
Bob was the consummate “country doctor,” always willing to help, regardless of the hour or circumstance. He often made house calls to stitch a bleeding lip or examine a broken tooth. He also took great pride in his role as a New York State Trooper Surgeon, assisting with numerous investigations.
Above all, Bob was a loving father and a devoted friend who cared deeply about Goshen and its residents. His three children—Robert Donovan Jr., Colonel Michael Donovan (Ret.), and Karen Bean—remember him with love and pride.
Bob left this world much too soon on August 18, 2007. He will always be our beloved father and our hero.
H O N O R E D B Y
Michael Donovan