William Donnelly
May 31, 1934 – September 28, 2022
Novato
William Robert Donnelly, dedicated husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle and friend, who prided himself on being a hard-working salesman, entrepreneur, family man, and outdoorsman, passed away September 28, 2022. Born on May 31, 1934 in Waseca, Minnesota to Samuel and Lenore Donnelly, Bill spent his early years growing up in the small farming town of Janesville in southern Minnesota, and later in the mining town of Virginia in northern Minnesota. His youth was filled with outdoor adventures, growing up in the Mesabi Iron Range and Kabetogama and Namakan Lakes area, now a part of Voyageurs National Park. His fishing tales and adventures on
Cemetery Island, which he inherited from his surrogate father Doc Levine, are engrained in family lore and history. Bill’s own father died when Bill was nine years old, and Doc and Margaret Levine helped raise him. Bill called himself a “depression
baby”, and along with his brother Dick and sister Gayl, they worked hard to support themselves and their mother.
After graduating from Roosevelt Senior High School in Virginia, Minnesota in 1952, Bill attended Macalester College before joining the U.S. Army, where he served two years as finance clerk for his battalion in Germany. Rising to the rank of Specialist E-5
(Sergeant), Bill made the most of his time in the Army and enjoyed traveling through Europe during his tour of service. After serving his country, he returned home to finish his studies, working his way through school and ultimately graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1960 with a degree in History.
Bill then moved to California and began a successful 20+ year career in sales for several pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Then in 1985, his entrepreneurial drive kicked in and he helped pioneer the private mail box boom. He founded retail ventures American Mail Service in Greenbrae and later American Mail Center in Truckee, successfully operating both of them for many years before selling the businesses. After that, Bill pivoted again and sold Long Term Care insurance as an agent for GE
Capital before retiring for the third and final time. Once he retired, he enjoyed being a member of Son’s in Retirement (SIRs), China Camp/Indian Valley Branch No. 68 and Tamalpias Branch No. 47 where he was one of the club’s most proficient recruiters of new members, thus keeping his sales skills sharp.
Always the consummate salesman, Bill said the biggest sale he ever made was selling himself to his wife Carol. Bill met Carol Thelen at a friend’s Christmas party in December 1960, and it didn’t take long for him to close the deal. They were married within a year, settling in San Rafael and later moving to Novato. Married for nearly 61 years, Bill and Carol had four boys and nine grandchildren. Bill shared his passion for life, passing on to his family his love for duck hunting, camping, running, tennis, traveling, flying, reading and dogs. He loved dogs, and they all seemed to love him. Bill was an avid runner, completing three marathons and was one of the original members of the Tamalpa Running Club. He enjoyed spending time at his cabin – the “Pluck-A-Duck Inn” – in Truckee, and many times over the years, he led his family back to Minnesota to enjoy new adventures and spend time with his sister Gayl and the entire Elias and Donnelly clans.
Bill always considered one of his greatest contributions was returning his land ("Cemetery Island") to the National Park Service to be protected and enjoyed by others as part of Voyageurs National Park.
Bill is survived by his wife Carol, sons Michael (Mary Anne), David, Thomas (Suzette) and Robert (Christie), sister Gayl Elias and grandchildren Marisa, William, Brinna,
Shannon, Margaret, Francis, Annie, Samuel and Nora, and many adoring nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Richard and sister Jean, and his brother-in-law Ray Elias.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 1:00 pm at the Wild Horse Valley Club House at 110 Wild Horse Valley Dr., Novato CA 94947.
In lieu of gifts and flowers, contributions can be made to the Voyageurs Conservancy (https://www.voyageurs.org) or the Point Reyes National Seashore Association (https://ptreyes.org).