Robert Donohoe Sr., chairman of Bethesda-based commercial real estate developer The Donohoe Companies, has died after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 72.
Donohoe CEO Christopher Bruch remembered the traits that made Donohoe successful.
“Bob led our board with integrity, in the tradition of our company values,” Bruch said. “In his 42-year career at Donohoe, Bob often cited the philosophy of his late Uncle Dick Donohoe that ‘reputation is everything,’ and he conducted business accordingly, whether by handshake or formal contract.”
Robert Donohoe joined the company, founded by his great-grandfather in 1884, in 1978.
During his tenure at The Donohoe Companies, the company grew from 300 employees to more than 1,400.
Among projects the company oversaw and completed during that time was the landmark Chevy Chase Pavilion mixed-use development that brought high-end retail to Friendship Heights in 1991.
Donohoe was involved in several high-profile commercial real estate developments in the region, including Gallery Rosslyn, Gallery Arlington and Gallery at White Flint Place, and Gallery Bethesda.
He succeeded his late brother James Donohoe III as chief executive and board chair in 2014. He retired as CEO in 2017 but remained board chairman.
