Very sad to just find out that Anne Donovan, women’s basketball hall of fame player and head coach, and wonderful person passed away last year of heart failure. Last time I had photographed her was for a USA Today sports feature in Beach Haven, New Jersey where she was spending time with her family before the start of basketball season. One of the things the assignment called for was a family portrait of Anne and 20 or so family members. She came from a very large tightly knit family. For years they would spend the same week at the beach together in their summer home. We had kept in touch for years after that shoot via email. I would hear from her at Christmas via an email card. Well, I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from her last Christmas and today found out that was because she passed last June. Very sad news.
At Christmas of 2017 we exchanged Christmas email cards and I had mentioned to her that I was thinking about them that past summer when I was photographing a boot camp beach yoga story in Beach Haven.
She responded with, “I’m so humbled that you remember the Donovan Clan! We all have your photo blown up and framed in various places in our homes. So you are always close in spirit!” I wrote her back that the thought of the family having my images hanging on their walls put a smile on my face from here to Texas. Still does.
In all my years making pictures I had never met a more kind and professional coach. She always went out of her way to help with whatever my photo assignments called for an for that I will forever be grateful.
More then that though, I will never forget her friendship. A wonderful woman gone far far too soon. RIP my friend. You are missed.
Above is one of the portraits I made of her and her family. .
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