David J. Foran

David J. Foran, of Glendale, died July 28, 2026. He was 89.

David grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Marquette University High School in 1955. Four years later, he received his Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Marquette University, where he was co-editor of the Marquette Hilltop (1958) and sports editor of the Marquette Tribune (1958-59). He received the Sigma Delta Chi (the national professional journalism society) certificate as outstanding graduate of Marquette’s College of Journalism in 1959.

At Marquette, David also met College of Journalism student Donna Rae Skovira. While working in the J-school dean’s office, Donna Rae sometimes would hear some guy (David) singing Frank Sinatra songs from a classroom two floors below. David and Donna Rae were married in 1960.

Following six months of active duty training in the U.S. Army Reserve, David joined the Catholic Herald Citizen in January 1960 as a reporter; four months later, he joined The Milwaukee Journal. Aside from an active duty stint with Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington (October 1961 to August 1962), David spent the next six years as a reporter and editor for the city’s afternoon daily newspaper. Areas of assignment included urban affairs, education, the federal government and the criminal justice system. He also served as a reviewer for the Sunday book section.

David left the Journal in 1966 to serve as director of the news bureau at Marquette University, a position he held until 1974, when he was named associate director of public relations for the university. In 1981, Dave was promoted to executive director of public relations, serving as the institution’s chief public affairs spokesman.

In 1994, David joined the broadcast media, signing on with Milwaukee Public Television (WMVS/WMVT Channels 10 & 36) as director of public relations and advertising, a position he held for five years before retiring from full-time work on Dec. 31, 1999.

David also was an educator, serving as a lecturer for Marquette University’s College of Journalism from 1975 through 1981, teaching print and broadcast news, and feature writing. He was an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists, serving stints as the Milwaukee chapter’s president and board chair; president of the Milwaukee Pen & Mike Club; and president of the Human Relations Radio-Television Council of Milwaukee Council of Milwaukee, a role that included serving as on-air host for the television program Human Rights.

A devoted husband and a caring father to his five children, David loved his family and he loved being home. And he was crazy about his six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was a reader, a writer, a rhetorician and a listener who loved to learn about the world around him as well as the worlds beyond. David could imagine: He kept his sense of wonder and his willingness to ask Why not? with him always.

He also appreciated art and beauty in all its forms — be it the written word (history books, mysteries, biographies, autobiographies, classic literature, modern literature, short fiction, plays and poetry could be found on his nightstand or nestled in the Foran Family floor-to-ceiling shelves), baseball (from Warren Spahn’s screwball to The Miz’ Powder River fastball), cinema (from Going My Way to Midnight Cowboy), Marquette basketball (from the great George Thompson to the dream-like Dean Meminger to the grace and graciousness of William Earl Tatum) or music (from Sinatra to Handel’s “Messiah” to The Four Freshmen).

David is survived by his wife Donna Rae; sons Christopher (Susan); Patrick (Lorna) and Timothy; daughters Anne (Peter); and Mary; grandsons Sean (Melissa) and Alexander (Rachael); granddaughters Kathleen, Samantha (Benjamin) and Allison; and great-grandchildren Theodore and Ada. He also is survived by his sister Patricia (Gordon) and his brother Daniel (Karen); nephews Charles (Tara) and Gordon (Peggy); and nieces Kristi (Joshua) and Kelli (Ryan). He was preceded in death by his parents George and Kathleen Foran; and his grandson Cory.

Visitation will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at St. Monica Catholic Church, 5681 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. Funeral Mass will follow at 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Marquette University, the Marquette Foran Family Immediate Support Scholarship Fund or Milwaukee PBS would be greatly appreciated.