Kevin Joseph Donovan's Obituary
Kevin Joseph Donovan, age 68, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, January 5, 2026. He was born November 6, 1957 in Boston, MA to Charles Thomas and Elizabeth Ann (McHugh) Donovan and lived in the Muskegon area most of his life. Kevin received his Associate’s Degree in building construction technology from Ferris State University. He worked in commercial construction for 50 years including Muskegon Construction Company, serving as President, Port City Construction Company and he ended his working career with John Grace Restoration in 2024. On May 29, 1981, he married Suzanne M. Delaney in Muskegon. Kevin was a very active and longtime member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church where he volunteered many years for the Annual Spaghetti Dinners. He was a gifted guitarist and founding member of the Contemporary Music Group that would play at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. Kevin was the President of The Muskegon Irish American Society and was also an inductee to The Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame. He was a dedicated volunteer as site director and past president of The Michigan Irish Music Festival. Kevin served 10 years on the Muskegon Public Schools Board, was past president of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District Board, served on the Hume Home Board, the Nancy K. Poppen Fund, and the West Michigan Construction Alliance. He treasured his role as the Sergeant at Arms for the Muskegon Rotary Club. Survivors include his loving wife, Suzanne Donovan; 3 children, Kasey (Daria) Donovan, Maureen (John) Cannon, Conor Donovan; 5 grandchildren, Kloe, Keaton, Sophia, Rory, Thomas; his brothers and sisters, Charles (Kathleen) Donovan, Thomas Donovan, Beth (Patrick Burns) Donovan, Mark (Katie) Donovan, Steven (Patsy) Donovan, Phillip (Sally) Donovan, Meg (Bryan) Jennings, Priscilla (Rick) Wilcox; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Karen M. Donovan, Robert Moran, Karen K. Donovan, Tim Delaney, Pat (Linda) Delaney; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Elizabeth Donovan; his in-laws, Dennis and Jackie Delaney; his twin brother, Chris Donovan, his brother, Brian Donovan; his sister, Mary Ann Moran; sister-in-law, Tricia Donovan, brother-in-law, Denny Delaney; and sister-in-law, Debbie Delaney. A Celebration of Life for Kevin will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, January 17, 2026 at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St, Norton Shores, MI 49444. Visitation will be held 5-8 PM Friday, January 16, 2026 at the funeral home. Please feel free to wear your favorite Irish Music Festival apparel or something green. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions may be directed to Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame. Sign the online guestbook at https://www.sytsemafh.com
Click here to watch a livestream of Kevin's Celebration of Life
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