Clarksville Obituary: David Lee Donahue

Clarksville, TN – David Lee Donahue was born on June 15th, 1944, in Indianapolis, IN to John Lawrence Donahue and Helen Mae Gallop. He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Helen and brother, John Richard Schuesler (1929-2003).

 He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Patricia Eisenmann; sons John Angelo (and Pamela Lake) and Eamonn Fitzgerald (and Olivia Temmel); grandchildren Michael Patrick, Ryan John, Katherine Helene, Claire Olivia, and William Cincinnatus; sister Katherine Jean Reid; and nephews and nieces, Julia D’Archangelo, Jill Patrick, and Michael Johnson John Schuesler, Jeffrey Schuesler, and Janet Channing.

His parents raised him and his siblings in the Fountain Square district of the south side of Indianapolis, where he attended P.S. 18 Abraham Lincoln and graduated from Emmerich Manual Training High School in 1962. After graduation, he attended university for a semester and worked as Teamster, then briefly served as a police cadet in the Indianapolis Police Department before receiving his draft notice for service in the United States Army.

As a member of the 7th Calvary Regiment, he served twice in the Vietnam War before returning to civilian life in July 1967. Following his time in the Army, he earned his undergraduate degree at the newly founded Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis and graduate education at Indiana University-Bloomington.

He was a part of Teacher Corps in Indianapolis, a teacher training program and served as president of the Indiana Adult Education Association where he met his wife, Pat. They married in 1978 and moved to Clarksville, TN where he taught as a professor in the Education department at Austin Peay State University and led another Teacher Corps program in cooperation with the Clarksville Montgomery County Schools.

He coached soccer at University Heights Academy and subsequently left Austin Peay to begin his teaching career at Clarksville High School in the Clarksville Montgomery County Schools. He taught there for 27 years. Following retirement, he coached women’s’ soccer two years at Breschia University in Owensboro, Kentucky and boys’ soccer at Sycamore High School for two years.

While at Clarksville High, he taught thousands of students and coached hundreds of athletes between girls’ cross country and boys’ soccer. Early on in his coaching career, their booster club had no funds for trophies. Because of this, he created “The Tip of the Coaches Hat” award to highlight the players’ special attributes, eccentricities and private jokes they shared, which the players looked forward to each year.

By the end of his career, he achieved the milestone as the TSSAA all-time leader in boys’ soccer victories. Despite his great record, he considered his greatest statistical accomplishment to be that he never had a losing season in 26 years as head coach. However, the true testament of his achievements on and off the field were the countless examples of the extraordinary men and women his former athletes and students became, from military service, to medicine and science, to politics and the law, to athletics and coaching as well as the tremendous parents many of them became.

“Pride, Preparation, Performance” were the principles he determined would accomplish victory, in both sports and in life. Soccer was his passion, and he followed soccer teams from all over the world, including the great players in those clubs, but he loved all sports, especially Notre Dame football and Indiana University basketball.

Dave and Pat had a farm in Cheatham County for 30 years where he enjoyed caring for the animals, bush hogging, and listening to country music. Following his retirement from teaching, he developed a life-long hobby of flower gardening, roses being his favorite.

He loved his sons and grandchildren and was so proud of their lives and accomplishments. He felt blessed to have such a wonderful family, including his large extended family in Indiana, North Carolina, Florida and California. Outside of coaching, he officiated soccer for nearly 40 years, most of them in the TSSAA, officiating his last game at the age of 80.

He was a lifetime member of both Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a proud supporter of the Armed Forces and veterans’ groups throughout the country. He was a tremendous supporter of local soccer, having been one of the founders of the Montgomery County Soccer Association.

He was also an avid volunteer, serving as a driver for the VA as well as multiple sports events at Clarksville High throughout his tenure. Most recently, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Montgomery County Public Library. He was known for his loyalty, sense of humor, and sharp wit.

Visitation will be held Friday, March 13th, 2026, at Neal, Tarpley, Parchman Funeral Home from 2:00pm-7:00pm. Services will be held on March 14th at Madison Street United Methodist Church at 11:00am, officiated by the Reverend Harriet Bryan. Interment will be at the Greenwood Cemetery followed by a lunch and reception at Madison Street United Methodist Church fellowship hall, where former colleagues, students, players and friends are invited to share stories about “Coach.” 

The pallbearers will be John Fitzgerald, Dwight Zimple, Leon Carter, James Donahue, Paul Mittura, and David Taylor; honorary pallbearers will be the alumni players and managers of the Clarksville High School boys’ soccer teams from 1982-2008.

In lieu of flowers, please make any charitable donations to the Disabled American Veterans at help.dav.org or Veterans of Foreign Wars at heroes.vfw.org.