John Donaghue

John Donaghue (1944-2024) John Donaghue, 80, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 24, 2024. John was born on February 26, 1944 in Camden, New Jersey to the late John J. and Rose Donaghue. His wonderful wife, Terry Sue Donaghue and identical twin brother Joseph Donaghue precede him in death. He is survived by daughter, Allison Privrat and husband John of Edmond OK, son Joey Donaghue and wife Jamie of Woodinville WA and son Clifton Donaghue of Tulsa OK. He was blessed with five grandchildren, Elizabeth, Timothy, Emily and Ashley Privrat and Nathan Keith. John is the oldest of five children, Joseph Donaghue (deceased), Patrick Donaghue of Benicia CA , Rose Norwood of Tracy CA and Ruth Johnston of Winters CA. After losing his father at the age of five, the family moved to Florida, Tennessee and eventually California. He attended Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, VA, for high school, hitchhiking back and forth from California at the beginning and end of each school year. While at Shenandoah Valley Academy he made some of his fondest childhood memories and lifelong friends. John loved airplanes, so after graduating High School and moving home to California, he worked at Chico Airport in Chico, CA to earn enough money to pay for flying lessons. He learned to fly Piper Colts and got his pilot's license in 1964 at age 20. When drafted to fight in Vietnam In 1966, John proudly joined the Marine Reserves. However, he was medically released due to injuries from a logging accident when he was 21. Determined to serve, he promptly volunteered for the Army and became a Combat Medic for C Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade, America Division. He was wounded in Vietnam in the Spring of 1968. After recovering, he was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona where he met and married his wife of 47 years, Terry Sue Ford in 1969. After getting honorably discharged from the army they moved to California where he graduated with a business degree from the University of California at Chico State. They then moved to Mineral Wells, TX where he was an auditor for the IRS. However, his love of airplanes took hold once more and in 1973 they moved to Los Angeles, CA where he attended an Aviation Mechanics school. He started his career in aviation at Boeing in Wichita, Kansas. From 1974 to 2007 he worked at Frontier Airlines, Continental Airlines and finally American Airlines, moving his family from Wichita to Albuquerque, NM, Brighton, CO and Broken Arrow, OK. John loved snow skiing, camping, scuba diving, sailboarding and pottery. While living in Albuquerque, NM, he built sail planes as a hobby for a friend's company. Both John and Terry Sue had a heart for helping Veterans and were actively involved with the Disabled American Veterans until her death in 2016. Afterwards, John joined the Spirit of Tulsa Squadron, Commemorative Air force in Tulsa, OK, where he made wonderful friends and helped restore, maintain and fly vintage WWII airplanes. Viewing will be on Monday, December 2, 2024 at the Moore Funeral Home, Southlawn Chapel, but the family will not be present during the viewing. Burial will be at the Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery, Macedonia, Arkansas. His Celebration of Life is Monday December 9th at 2:00 PM at Moore's Southlawn Chapel at 9350 E. 51st St. Tulsa, Ok 74145.

John Donaghue

February 26, 1944 - November 24, 2024