Col. Derek “Moondog” Donovan ’80

Col. Derek “Moondog” Donovan ’80, of Alexandria, Va.; Feb. 11, of esophageal cancer.  He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1981 and following his commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant, he attended the Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico and subsequently attended flight school at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, earning his wings as a naval aviator in 1983. Designated a Huey helicopter pilot, his initial squadron was the North Carolina based Gunrunners, where he received his call sign Moondog. His career included deployments and affiliations with the Gunrunners, Golden Eagles, Blue Knights, Warriors, Ugly Angels, and Black Knights. He flew more than 3,500 flight hours, visited more than 70 countries, lived aboard U.S. naval vessels for more than four years of his life, and was qualified in eight different military occupational specialties. His assignments included being selected as aide-de-camp to the Secretary of the Navy and the commanding officer of the Marine Corps Air Facility at Marine Corp Air Facility Quantico, Virginia. His last assignment before retiring was with the Presidential Commission for the Care of America’s Returning Wounded Warriors.  Donovan also had a stint working in the nonprofit world for Fisher House Foundation. As a volunteer, he worked as an elected official, interviewed prospective students for Brown, and gave driving lessons to local youth. He was a member of the Order of the Kentucky Colonels, an ordained nondenominational minister (via the internet), and a life member of several veterans service organizations. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; a daughter; a son; four grandchildren; his mother; a sister; and two brothers.