Monsignor Timothy J. O'Donovan, 90

Monsignor Timothy J. O’Donovan, 90, passed away at his home in Sandpoint on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014.

Services will be held for Monsignor Timothy J. O’Donovan at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. with Father Dennis C. Day officiating, and the recitation of the rosary on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the church with Father Carlos Perez presiding.

For those parishioners of St. Ann’s in Bonners Ferry, there was a special recitation of the rosary with the body present on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Born in Oakland, Calif., Timothy John was the second son of two Irish immigrants, Patrick and Anne O’Donovan. Both parents from County Cork came to the Bay area in 1907.

Timothy John was born on Feb. 6, 1923, in Oakland, Calif. After graduating from St. Joseph’s High School in Alameda, Calif., Timothy spent one year at the University of San Francisco before deciding to become a priest. He transferred to the Mission San Luis Rey College to earn his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and later completed theology at Mission Santa Barbara.

Ordained to the priesthood as a Franciscan on Dec. 27, 1949, Father Malachy John (as he was known then) served the people as an assistant pastor at St. Francis Church, Sacramento and Immaculate Conception in San Diego, St. Mary’s Church in Phoenix, San Rogue Church in Santa Barbara and St. Paschal’s Church in the Spokane Valley.

In 1957, Father arrived in Boise to serve St. John’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Church in Caldwell as a diocesan priest. In 1958, Father Timothy was assigned to Post Falls, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake and remained there until 1971 when he was appointed pastor of St Joseph’s in Sandpoint and Sacred Heart in Clark Fork. He remained there until 1983 when he went on to Priest River and Wallace.

He retired in 1987 to Hope, Idaho, and served at Sacred Heart in Clark Fork for 19 years until retiring a second time in 2006. He was invested with the honor of Monsignor by Bishop Michael Driscoll on March 1, 2008.

He was noted for his Irish sense of humor. He always told a couple of jokes after each service, sending away his parishioners with a light heart and a spiritual message.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother. He is survived by all first cousins: Bernard O’Donovan of Cork City, Rita Driscoll and Joseph Burke of Dublin, and Clare Caroll of Waterford – all of Ireland; Ivy O’Donovan of Usk, South Wales, Rosaleen Kelly of Orinda, Calif., and the Jim Potts family of San Francisco.

Monsignor Timothy will always be remembered for his quick wit, the sharpness of his mind, his gentle spirit, his little hats and the tremendous love he shared for his parishioners and friends. Truly he was the “Servus Servorum Dei” of North Idaho.

Family and friends are invited to sign Monsignor Tim’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.