Richard J. Donovan

CA Blue Book

Date	Party	Office	Votes	Result
11-06-1962	Republican	AD-77	33586	Win
11-03-1964	Republican	AD-77	46547	Win

Candidate Biography:

Born: February 24, 1926 in New Rochelle, New York
Married: Peggy Jeanne Pearse (m. 1950)
Children: Elizabeth and Roxanne
Military Service: USN (WWII)
Died: November 21, 1971 in Chula Vista, CA

1950-1955: Police Officer, National City Police Department
1955-1957: Deputy Marshall, San Diego Municipal Court (at Chula Vista)
1957-1960: Clerk, San Diego Municipal Court
1966: Proponent, Proposition 1A (the initiative that created a fulltime legislature)
1966: Resigned from the State Assembly on July 15.
1966-1971: Justice, San Diego County Municipal Court

• PLACENAME: The Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (opened in 1987) is located at Rock Mountain. "The RJ Donovan Correctional Facility was named for the late Assemblyman and Judge Richard J. Donovan, who sponsored legislation to build a State Correctional Facility in the San Diego area. However, the Honorable Donovan passed away before the institution was built." [Source] Notable inmates at the Donovan Correctional Facility have included Sirhan Sirhan (currently), Erik Menendez, and Roy Lewis Norris (of the Tool Box Killers)
• SUICIDE: On November 20, 1971, Donovan shot himself in the head with a .22 at his home.

Source: California Blue Book (1963)
Source: "San Diego Judge Shot; Suicide Attempt Seen", Los Angeles Times (11/21/1971), p. A
Source: Email from Elizabeth Ann Donovan McClendon (6/17/2012)