Giving for Gabe

GIVING

FOR “He was really, really smart,” said Theo Donnay ’12, of his brother, Gabe ’08. “He was kind and wise, a good friend, GABE always providing advice and an empathetic ear.” That empathetic ear wasn’t just good at listening to friends; Gabe was musically talented as well. He was skillful in many genres, beginning with classical — which was “forced by our mother,” according to Theo — and later expanding into guitar, bass, piano, and other instruments. The last time Theo saw his brother, they spent time together in Colorado and Los Angeles. They talked about many things during that three-week trip — among them, their years at Gilman and the music projects Gabe was working on. “Gilman gave Gabe an opportunity to pursue a lot of different interests,” Theo said. “He won a science prize, he was co-captain of the wrestling team, he was in the Traveling Men, he was in all the tri-school plays. It really was a mind-body-spirit education for him.” Gabe continued with his music beyond his time on Roland Avenue. “His experiences at Gilman gave him the confidence to do some of the things he went on to do,” said Theo. He had a band in college at the University of Pennsylvania and later started one called Satchmode with Adam Boukis ’08 in LA. “Gabe saw music as a place to create, to be original, and to explore new ideas,” his brother said. And though Theo thinks that Gabe could have made a career out of it, by day, the older Donnay brother delighted in his other passion — science — working as a data scientist at a tech startup. Sadly, the world will never know what else Gabe could have gone on to accomplish. His life was cut short by a tragic and senseless crime at his Los Angeles home in March of 2021. He was 31 years old. “The support of the Gilman community has been tremendous,” Theo said. “Mr. Smyth was there for the candlelit vigil at our home the night after his death.” At first, there was talk amongst some members of the Gilman community about planting a tree or building a bench in his memory but Theo wanted to do something more meaningful. Theo Gabe Donnay ’08

REPORT ON GIVING 2021-2022 18

As of 6/30/22 Dollars Raised: $279,365 Pledges: $175,000 Donors: 165

“GILMAN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PREPARING US FOR WHO

WE BECAME.” –THEO DONNAY ʼ12

sought to preserve Gabe’s legacy and promote the things that he loved. With help from family and friends, he seeks to give back to Gilman by establishing a fund or a named space in his brother’s honor, with the goal to create the Gabe Donnay Recording Studio at Gilman. If enough funds are raised, an annual music fellow could join the Gilman community as well.

So far, Theo says the campaign is off to a great start with a lot of support from alumni who went to school with the Donnay brothers. “It’s reflective of the impact he made on so many people.”

Theo remembers Gabe would say that “music can open up another part of your brain that can then help out in different areas as well,” in turn strengthening someone’s patience, problemsolving skills, and even math competency. He thinks his brother would be pleased that Gilman is investing in the arts and that other students following behind him would have the opportunity to benefit from this field of study.

“Gilman was instrumental in preparing us for who we became,” Theo said. “He and I regularly talked about how lucky we were to go to Gilman not just for the academic background but for the friends we made and how prepared we felt for the world. He would be happy to know we are giving back to Gilman.”