Donovan Lewis, 1965–2022
Actor, Puppeteer
Donovan was a founder member of the About Face Theatre Company, where he became an accomplished actor and puppeteer.
Donovan lived life to the full and participated in sport. He swam for Herefordshire in the Special Olympics and won several Gold Medals.
He was the first player to take the first wicket and then score the first run for Herefordshire in the National Disability Cricket League.
Donovan Lewis was born and grew up in Bishops Frome, and spent much of his life in Leominster.
He started having respite care in Windsor Place Residential Home in Ryelands Road, before briefly attending Barrs Court School in Hereford and then moving to Westfield School in Leominster. When he left school Donovan went on to the local Adult Training Centre to train in carpentry and joinery.
As part of his respite care Donovan stayed at the Newman Care Home in Pump Piece, Leominster (established by Edie Newman), and eventually became a permanent resident there.
In 1995 Donovan was a founding member of the About Face Theatre Company. This group works with people with disabilities to perform plays especially devised for and by the Company. About Face also takes a regular programme of workshops and performances into primary and secondary schools across the county. In joining this group Donovan had found his passion. He appeared to great acclaim in many productions before moving on to another part of About Face, Drama for All, which provided all the fun drama without the pressures of working towards a public performance.
He also worked with ECHO, a charity for the disabled, and volunteered with Clever Betsy — a social enterprise Arts and Crafts project.
Whatever he did Donovan did with total commitment. He loved sport, whether watching it on television or participating. He swam for Herefordshire in the Special Olympics and won several Gold Medals. In July 2009 he entered the record books as the player to take the first wicket and then score the first run for Herefordshire in the National Disability Cricket League with his performance in the game against Hampshire. In this tournament another Newman Home resident and Leominster Museum Volunteer, Kevin Stuchberry, was the pick of the Herefordshire bowlers with 3-35!
On another occasion during a darts match in a local pub he scored 180. No mean achievement for someone with a vision impairment, and actually registered as blind.
Donovan loved Leominster and he loved its pubs!
As a tribute to Donovan on Social Media put it: “Don was simply the best. A wonderful man, actor and puppeteer. He sent out magic to the world in everything he did”.
