Donnelly, John Ware

John Ware Donnelly, 106, died Thursday, June 27, 2013. A Celebration of Life will be held in the Freedom Plaza Auditorium in Sun City Center, Fla., at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. Zipperer's Funeral Home, Ruskin, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.

Born Sept. 23, 1906, in Burlington, Iowa, John delivered newspapers as a young boy and soon started door-to-door selling of household specialty products. He teamed with Hatzell Spence, writing a book, “One Foot in Heaven,” about their boyhood adventures.

During the Great Depression, John completed a business degree at the University of Iowa, financing his education by starting a carpet cleaning business; selling his services to fraternity houses and the student union. At a recital, he met his first wife, Cathrean, a graduate violin student in music. They married in 1934 and had a daughter and two sons. Cathrean taught music and played with the Cedar Rapids Symphony.

John opened the first Social Security office in Des Moines, Iowa in 1936. After moving to Cedar Rapids, he managed the Social Security office for 11 years. John then became a stockbroker, joining a local firm before opening his own office. Every noon John could be heard on the radio giving the daily stocks and bonds report.

After John retired in 1980, he and Cathrean moved to Sun City Center, Fla. They enjoyed an active social life, playing golf and visiting with their daughter, Carol, and her children, who live in nearby Bradenton. Cathrean died in 1989. While driving seniors to their doctor visits, John met Marian Hoeffner in the waiting room of an eye doctor's office. Shortly thereafter, in June 2001, they married.

John was well known for his championship status in table tennis. He competed in eight National Senior Games, winning more than 10 gold medals. In 2006, at age 100, he appeared on NBC's Tonight Show and played a brief round of table tennis with Jay Leno. He founded the Sun City Table Tennis Club and was honored a few years ago when the name was changed to the John Donnelly Table Tennis Club.

John will be remembered by his family as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. With his many friends, John lived his life to the fullest.

In addition to table tennis, John enjoyed Rotary, singing in the chorus, writing poetry and attending concerts and the theater. John often gave a helping hand to others through his church, Rotary Club and Samaritan Services.

In addition to his wife, Marian, John is survived by his daughter, Carol of Bradenton; son, John (Sara) of Sonoma, Calif.; son, Robert (Jeannie) of Verona, N.J.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be directed to Life Path Hospice, Sun City Center Hospice House, 3273 Upper Creek Dr., Ruskin, FL 33573.

Published July 7, 2013 in The Gazette