William Donagan

William J. Donagan, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Durango, Colo., from complications of Alzheimer’s. He was 74. Known as Bill, he was born December 18, 1938, to David and Irene Donagan in Janesville, Wis. He graduated from Colfax High School in Colfax, Wis., in 1957. He served in the U.S. Navy for 4 ½ years on aircraft carrier USS Yorktown with a helicopter anti-submarine squad. He married Karen Kiekhafer in Colfax Oct. 5, 1963. The couple moved to Durango in 1979. Bill worked for Sperry Corp, which later became Unisys Corp., for 30 years until retirement in 2001. His work included two-year assignments to Rome, Italy, and Sydney, Australia, and many states in the U.S., but he always returned to Durango. After retirement he worked as a snowmobile guide at Purgatory, then as a groundskeeper at the Glacier Club. He was a member of BPO Elks #507 in Durango. Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, and picking wild mushrooms, especially the morels in Michigan and the king boletes and chanterelles in Colorado. He is preceded in death by his daughter Lori “Star” Sutherland. He is survived by his wife, Karen Donagan, and son, Sheldon Donagan, both of Durango; brother, Dan Donagan, of Colfax, Wis., sisters Pat Marko of Wheeler, Wis., and Kathy Jenson of Menomonie, Wis.; and grandsons Landon Donagan and Keegan Sutherland of Durango. No services are planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill’s name to the Hospice of Mercy, 1 Mercado St., Suite 270, Durango, CO 81301.