Jerry Donley 1930-2023

Jerry A. Donley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away on Thursday, February 9 in the arms of his wife, Christel Donley. He was 92 years old.

Donley was involved in Masters Track & Field since the mid-1970’s and during this period he participated as an athlete and served as an administrator, meet director, official, coach & volunteer.

As a gifted pole vaulter at Beloit College in Wisconsin, his jump of 13' 9" inches remained the record for over 40 years leading to induction to the Beloit Hall of Honor. In 1971, his boy's interest in pole vaulting reignited his passion for vaulting. He took first place in hundreds of Masters Track and Field meets including 13 World Championships in the Pole Vault. His best Masters result was a vault of 13'5" at 48 years of age. He competed in the inaugural World Masters Championship in 1975 in Toronto. Donley is one of only two athletes from the USA who competed in that championship who are still competing today. Last year, equipped with a pacemaker and fighting Parkinson's disease, he won the men's 90-94 year old shot put at the Masters Outdoor Championships.

He served as the Colorado Masters Chair for over 37 years (1975-1982 and 1988-2018). In that role he organized many Colorado and regional championship events for the athletes.

On the national level he was the Chair of the USATF Masters Track & Field committee from 1982 to 1989 and later served on the USATF Board of Directors. He received the Presidents Award in 1984 as the USATF Administrator of the Year. He was the co-chair, with his wife Christel, of the USATF Mid-America Region from 2005 to 2018. In 1999 he  was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame.

As a certified official he officiated literally 1000s of pole vault competitions. 

Donley created the Above the Bar Club (currently run by John Carmony) to promote pole vaulting, and he was a major promoter of the pole vault as a women’s event.

Together with Jim Weed, Donley helped organize the Rocky Mountain Masters Games, a mainstay of the Masters track and field calendar for more than 40 years. 

“Jerry was a soft-spoken true gentleman who commanded respect in our Executive Committee meetings and during the Masters T&F (MTF) committee sessions at the Annual Meeting,” said Jerry Bookin-Weiner, current MTF Chair. "His long view, borne of his decades of involvement in MTF, made him an invaluable resource to those of us following in his footsteps. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts now are with his family, particularly his wife Christel, who is also an integral part of the MTF community both in the US and worldwide."

Donley graduated from Beloit College (Wisconsin) in 1951 and the University of Michigan Law School in 1954. He practiced law in Colorado Springs for decades, most recently with his son.

He was blessed to have two remarkable women in his life. Jerry married his college sweetheart Dorothy "Dot" Mayhew and they raised 3 rambunctious, hockey playing boys. Together, they were leaders in the First Presbyterian Church and Colorado Springs. Through their leadership they left a legacy that will have a lasting positive impact. They had been married for 47 years when Dot passed away in 2001.

In 2002 he married Christel Miller. For the next 21 years they shared their like passion for track and field traveling the world participating in hundreds of meets. They were nicknamed the "First Couple of Masters Track and Field." As leaders in USA Masters Track and Field, both received numerous awards highlighted by the David Paine Distinguished Service Award in 2018. They lived their life extremely grateful for each other, family and friends.

He is survived by his children Charles (Valerie), Jack (Doris), David "Chad;" his grandchildren Christopher, Anne, Tiffany, Kline, Melinda and Laura (predeceased); and great grandchildren; Ari and Lincoln. His bonus family with Christel included Nils (Toyan), Sonja (Rainer - predeceased), Gunnar (Lisa), Steven (Lisa), and Douglas (predeceased) and grandchildren Lucas, Devin, Siena, Anika, Maximus, Stephanie and Grant.

Services will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs on March 3 at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, Beloit College - Men and Women's Track & Field, or University of Michigan Law School (for exemplary students who need financial assistance).