Mark David Donovan

We are sad to announce the passing of Mark David Donovan, 59, on August 27, 2022
at UCD hospital in Sacramento, CA from a traumatic brain injury caused by an
accidental fall. The family would like to thank the medical trauma team and doctors,
organ donor program staff and hospice staff at UCD for the medical and emotional care
and support provided.
Former resident of Rancho Cordova and Sacramento, CA, Mark was born in
Sacramento, CA to Donnie and Karen Donovan on November, 20, 1962. Mark was a
history buff and loved sports, especially baseball, soccer and basketball, He played
baseball, softball, basketball and soccer recreationally as a youngster and into
adulthood; he also spent many enjoyable hours watching games/matches with his
friends and family, including spending time each year with his friends watching and
following the NCAA college basketball tournament. Mark was a devoted fan of the San
Francisco Giants (Willie McCovey) and the Liverpool Football Club (LFC). He was
overjoyed to watch the SF Giants win the World Series, not 1 but 3 times, and to watch
LFC win many championship matches and tournaments. As a baseball enthusiast, Mark
was an invited, official member of the “Old Timers/Over the Hill Gang” baseball club that
met monthly at Old Ironsides for many years. He cherished the time he spent with
several retired baseball professionals like Sam Kanelos, Sr., Gus Stathos, Rudy
Rodoni, Ronnie King, Harry Dunlop and several others, along with the occasional visit
from the late Don Larsen.
Mark also loved music and had a few years of fun playing guitar with local bands in his
younger days. He enjoyed the music scene in the downtown Sacramento area and
frequented many shows at local small event locations. He will be remembered for his
famous air guitar performances while listening to his favorite songs.
Mark will be terribly missed and is survived by his life partner Dana Winder (and her
son, Jason Souza), his mother, Karen Donovan and his sister Shellaine Morehouse
(Bob), nieces Ashlee Onwurah (Emecar) and Malerie Andrews (Jamond), cousins Paige
Dobesh, Marcie Colombo, and Meredith Kanost in Nebraska, his beloved little dogs
Quinn, Walter and Abby, and many, many friends. Mark was preceded in death by his
father, Donnie L. Donovan (1988).
Family and friends will be honoring Mark at a private Celebration of Life event. In Mark’s
honor, please consider donating or supporting one of the following organizations that
provide services important to Mark: Sacramento Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
(AFSP) or the GoFundMe account for the Hillsborough Transformational Recovery
Model (raises money to help the families and people affected by the LFC Hillsborough
Disaster).