Former Federal Magistrate Judge James Patrick Donohue has passed away from glioblastoma (Nov. 2, 1950 - May 24, 2025). He is survived by his wife of 49 years Tanya; his siblings Kathy, MaryEllen (Ron), Rob (Bonnie), Tom (Mary), and Chris (Dana); his children Michael and Meghan; and his grandchildren Vivienne and Catherine. He is predeceased by his parents Robert and Grace. A graduate of University of Illinois and UCLA Law School, Jim originally came to Seattle as a Vista Volunteer in 1976 and never left. His legal career focused on intellectual property for clients such as Neil Young and Nintendo, eventually becoming a Federal Magistrate Judge in 2005. He was the president of Seafair, the inaugural president of the Seattle Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, and a board member of the Washington chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Special Olympics. After retiring from the bench, he volunteered his legal services to help immigrants apply for asylum.

Jim was a member of the Magnolia United Methodist Church and St. Patrick's Catholic Parish. Jim loved walking around Green Lake and going to Mariners games. Two of his favorite memories were hiking the Grand Canyon with his son and the Camino de Santiago with his daughter. This past Christmas, he again proposed to Tanya, saying convincing her to marry him was the best case he ever argued.

The family would like to thank Jim's care team at Kaiser and the staff at All About Seniors Adult Family Home, who all provided wonderful care throughout his illness.

A memorial service will be held at St. Joseph's Parish on June 20th at 11am. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Jim's honor to Northwest Harvest.