Alys Taylor Donovan

Alys Taylor Donovan was born in Delhi, Louisiana, on October 31, 1948, and grew up in South Texas (Sharyland and Mission). Alys began gracing Biloxi, Mississippi, when she married Ed “Chip” Donovan, in July of 1974. Alys and Chip raised their three children in their home on Miramar Avenue, which was destroyed in Katrina. Alys departed this life Saturday night, October 15, 2011, as a nine-year cancer survivor. In her youth, Alys’s talents and honors were many – an athlete, she performed with an elite Texas Ballet Company and appeared in a number of regional productions. She was selected Captain of her high school cheerleading squad. Always kind to her classmates and loved by her community, she was chosen as Princess Anna and then Queen Citrianna for the South Texas Citrus Fiesta and Parade in 1966. A leader and organizer of her peers, she was elected FFA Sweetheart, President of her class, and Class Orator, among other honors. During her college years, she earned extra money by appearing in television commercials in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. In her profession, Alys was among the very best – in Austin, while earning her Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology, and in Houston, Alys worked to create some of the earliest speech and language programs specifically designed for pre-school children. In Biloxi, Alys devoted her life to her family – always involved in and encouraging her children and grandchildren in their extracurricular activities, creating enriching experiences for them at home and abroad. After her children were along in school, she returned to work part-time as a speech and language pathologist with Biloxi Schools, retiring in 2009. She filled a large variety of roles in the community – member and for many years President of the Nativity B.V.M. Elementary School Board, Girl Scout leader, cheerleader sponsor with Biloxi Schools, long-time member and past Captain of Les Masquees Carnival Krewe, Children’s International Summer Villages Gulf Coast Branch President and adult leader of a delegation to Norway in 1976, life member of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Chapter of Junior Auxiliary, Leadership Gulf Coast graduate, a project READ coordinator, and prayer group leader with Nativity B.V.M. parish. Alys was preceded in death by her parents, Edward A. Taylor and Virginia “Ginger” Taylor of Texas. She is survived by her husband of thirty-seven years, Edward “Chip” Donovan of Biloxi; her children, Alyssa Donovan Farrell (Jim) with grandchildren Jack and Ray Farrell of Biloxi; Shannon Donovan Benesch (Shaun) with grandchildren Tyler and Alys Benesch (baby Alys is scheduled to arrive Friday) of Houston, Texas; and John Taylor Donovan (Erin) of Houston, Texas; her brother, Eddy Taylor of San Marcos, Texas; and a host of very good friends. Support from the Biloxi community has been huge the whole of the nine years of Alys’s cancer treatment. A special thanks for the guidance of Eileen Donovan, now retired from MD Anderson, and Dr. Richard Theriault, who designed and orchestrated Alys’s treatment at MD Anderson. Visitation will be held at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, and again from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 19, with the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Alys suggested donations to Nativity B.V.M. Elementary School at 1046 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS 39530 or St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy at P.O. Box 1228, Biloxi, MS 39533.