James “Jim” Whitehouse Donlon, 67, of Danville, KY passed away on Monday, May 12, 2025 at the family farm. Through the strength and stubbornness of Jim’s body and mind, he held off the cruel advances of pancreatic cancer for over a year and a half.
Jim was a member of the Danville High School Class of ‘75 and the Centre College Class of ‘79, where he excelled at football and powerlifting. He went on to coach football and develop strength programs across Kentucky and to teach history and government to high schoolers. He retired after 29 years of teaching (26 years at Boyle County High School) in 2010 and was later inducted into BCHS’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
Despite his talent on the field and in the classroom, Jim was often thinking of fishing, hunting, farming, and sharing good food. Friends and family members will remember the fish frys Jim and Susan hosted, breakfasts marking the beginning of hunting season, fried turkeys, shrimp boils, pre-game meals, and barbecue done right. He had a special talent for and dedication to growing food for his family. He kept a garden all his life, even through cancer treatment, and regularly shared the bounty with others. Working outside brought him satisfaction and peace. He would say the best time to start a garden or plant a tree would be today – as long as the Farmer’s Almanac says it’s okay.
Jim was a natural storyteller and enjoyed being at the center of people’s attention. He knew a little bit about a lot of things, and he was always willing to teach what he knew a lot about. His woodworking projects will continue to be used and appreciated by family, as well as the home and barn he helped build, serving as treasured retreats from the world. Jim’s curiosity for how things worked and the do-or-build-it-yourself mentality live on through his children.
Although he might not have identified as such, he was a romantic at heart. His love for his wife, Susan, could be seen through his messages reminding her that she was on his mind, always asking “Will you marry me?” when driving past their proposal site on Highway 68 in Taylor County (and “?em yrram uoy lliW” on the way back), and never leaving the house without saying “I love you.” When he first saw her in a grocery store in 1983, he knew it was true love, and their children got to see that love while growing up.
SURVIVORS:
His wife of 40 years: Susan Jones Donlon
1 son: Benjamin Robert (Micah) Donlon of Louisville
1 daughter: Emily Katherine Donlon of Danville
Granddaughter due in June (Ben & Micah)
1 sister: Jane Donlon (Alix) Charida
Nieces: Sarah & Jenna Charida of Louisville
Cousin: Walter Sevier of Dallas
Cousins: Jeff, Steve, and John Donlon of Louisville
There are too many friends, fellow coaches, and fishing buddies to list, and his family appreciates the love shown to Jim.
He is predeceased by his father, Robert Louis Donlon, and mother, Bobbie Whitehouse Donlon.
Celebration of Life: Friday, May 16, 2025 from 6:30pm-7:00pmET at Indian Hills Christian Church in Danville, KY
Visitation: After 4:00pmET on Friday at the church
The family appreciates the support and care Jim received from the staff at Danville’s Commonwealth Cancer and Radiation Center.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Foundation. Alternatively, you can plant a new variety of tomato this year and think of Jim with that first bite.
For more information or to make a donation, contact Foster-Toler-Curry Funeral Home in Greensburg.
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