Kerry J. Donley. (1956 – 2022) Photo: Alexandria Living Legends.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Kerry J. Donley, 66, former mayor of Alexandria, died tonight at his home of an apparent heart attack. He was 66 years old.
The community has taken a collective gasp and is in shock. Donley was a vibrant force in the busy city of Alexandria and had personally touched so many lives in his civilian and professional life.
I am saddened to hear of the passing of our former Mayor, Kerry Donley.
Much of our progress is based on the transformative work that Kerry led.
Most importantly he was a friend and I will miss him.
Please keep Eva, her daughters and family in your thoughts. pic.twitter.com/6Oh2wr4fMj
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) July 14, 2022
A committed public servant, Donley began his public service as a member of Washington Area Housing Partners and served as co-chair of the Cameron Station Redevelopment Task Force, which oversaw the redevelopment of the headquarters of the Defense Logistics Agency in West Alexandria from 1988 to 2005.
He was elected and served as a Democratic member of the Alexandria City Council from 1988 to 1996. In 1993, he received the most votes for the City Council and was appointed Vice Mayor. In 1996, Donley was elected mayor of Alexandria. He served two terms until 2003.
Donley told writer Amber Healy in 2017, “Local government is where the rubber meets the road. I think that’s where you make the decisions and they directly affect the people you serve. Whether it’s decisions about the “land use or budget decisions, directly affect the community. It’s all well and good to serve the general public at the state or federal level, but when you’re in local government and you’re building a school or a library, every day you walk by and see children who at school or people using the library, you know you’re having a direct impact on people’s lives.”
Donley was just seven years old when his father’s job as chief of staff to South Dakota Senator George McGovern brought the family east to Alexandria. Kerry often joked that he was only supposed to serve a six-year term, but nearly 60 years later, Alexandria was still home.
After college at Marquette University, where he majored in political science, Donley returned to Alexandria, where he and his wife, Eva, raised their five daughters.
Aside from a three-year stint as athletic director at TC Williams, Donley has always been a banker, from his early days at Crestar Bank in 1979 to his retirement as a senior vice president at John Marshall Bank in 2021 .
In addition to his time on the Alexandria City Council, Donley volunteered and served on countless non-profit boards, including the Virginia Municipal League, Open Door Housing, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and Alexandria’s DASH, The Center for Alexandria’s Children, Carpenter’s Shelter, Alexandria United Way, the Alexandria Campaign on Teen Pregnancy, and currently serves as the Chair of the Alexandria Senior Services Board.
The Honorable Kerry Donley was a natural leader. A legend in #AlexandriaVA. And laugh! ❤️ We will miss you sir. God bless you and thank you for your commitment and service in your home. In everything you’ve done, you’ve made a difference. pic.twitter.com/IGetDP98I6
— Amy Jackson (@AmyJacksonVA) July 14, 2022
Donley was recognized for his service by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce as Business Leader of the Year (2004) and Grand Marshall of the Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2006). Most recently, he was added to the Carpenter’s Shelter Wall of Honor (2015) and received the Volunteer Alexandria Lifetime Achievement Award (2016).
It is because of this long list of accolades and accomplishments that Donley was inducted into Alexandria’s Living Legends in 2017. At the time, Donley said, “Any citizen, whether an elected official or not, is gifted with the responsibility to leave. the community a better place because you lived there. That’s why I volunteer, that’s why I ran for elected office, that’s why my wife volunteers, that’s why my kids volunteer. They saw it growing up, but they strongly believe there are things they can do to improve the lives of others. It’s a hallmark of Alexandria: a very engaged and compassionate city. Do you want to be part of the community? Get involved. You need to give your time, and this has been the hallmark of our family’s life here in the city.”
When asked about his career, Donley humbly reflected on his most cherished accomplishments: “Being a part of building the first elementary school in 35 years, Samuel Tucker School; working to save 500 affordable market rate housing units; those are the real highlights for me. They are those things that are tangible and that have really improved the quality of life in the city… [but] it’s the intangibles that I find most rewarding. Obviously, and I’m being honest about this, but the most important aspect of my life has been my family. I am very proud of my children and their achievements.”
Donley is survived by his wife of 42 years, Eva, their five daughters and their sons.
A memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, July 24, 2022 at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home, 1500 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22302. The family will receive guests from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and in the evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service from 6:30 p.m.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 25, 2022 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1427 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22302. Private burial will follow.
This article has been updated.
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