"The rarest of human beings": Tributes pour in for late Vancouver photographer
A beloved face in the Downtown Eastside community has passed away, and tributes are pouring in for a man who was truly “genuine.”
Donovan Patrick Mahoney, a photographer, storyteller, comedian and activist, passed away in early April and friends and colleagues are sharing heartfelt memories of the artist.
Longtime friend and community leader Sarah Blyth told Daily Hive that Mahoney’s passing is a loss for many people around Vancouver.
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“It’s a huge loss of a person willing to share his story,” said Blyth, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society and former chair of the Vancouver Park Board. “He knew how to share his story. He was able to document through YouTube, social media, marketing and photography in a way not many can.
“Donovan was an amazing guy. He was always up to something great.”
Mahoney had been living on and off the streets of the DTES for most of his life with a heroin and cocaine addiction before reaching sobriety in 2012 and focusing seriously on photography.
In a 2015 interview with Daily Hive, Mahoney explained how his love for photography took some time to bloom.
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“I took pictures for granted; I didn’t think they were a real serious thing. Like, when I looked at magazines, I thought, ‘That’s a beautiful picture,'” he said. “I wasn’t able to connect at that time in my life that somebody was able to see that and communicate that to the world. My life didn’t allow for me to do any real thinking past survival.”
Mahoney’s photography was utilized by the City of Vancouver in the Healthy City For All project and was exhibited all over the city. Huffington Post featured him when he was honoured as BC Photographer of the Month and one of Canada’s best Instagrammers.
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“He was an amazing photographer he told many people’s stories from the perspective of someone who understood some of the challenges people face in the DTES,” added Blyth. “People in the DTES had a voice, a person willing and able to share his story. The ups and downs of his life, the good stuff and the bad stuff.
“He always worked towards becoming the best person he could be which helped him with some of the challenges he faced.”
Mahoney previously told Daily Hive that he found huge relief knowing there was “medication” in the camera.
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“The fact that people appreciated [my photography] became really wonderful. I do this for me because I actually have to. It’s because if I don’t, I think the possibility of me relapsing is pretty high. Because I see the worst in the world, and I’m very aware of what’s going on in the world, which is very challenging. I don’t have the distractions that other people have.”
Further tributes to Mahoney were shared on X shortly after his passing, describing him as “the rarest of human beings” and “one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”
Do you know when you meet someone and you are struck with the thought, this person is the rarest of human beings ~ there has never been, and will ever be another who is this real, this honest, this brilliant, this beautiful, this tortured, this compassionate, this complicated 1/8 pic.twitter.com/w9EJuEiMLl
— Elisha Bonnis (@ElishaBonnis) April 6, 2024
I received news last night that my good friend Donovan died, possibly from a heart attack/embolism while in hospital bc of complications from cellulitis.
We saw each other at Insite for years, and even went to treatment together through the detox services upstairs.
My friend… pic.twitter.com/L2yPATqELC
— guyfelicella (@guyfelicella) April 3, 2024
Acclaimed DTES graffiti artist Smokey D shared that a mural in honour of Mahoney will be unveiled in the near future.
“He was cool and will be sadly missed by a lot of people for a long time,” Smokey D added.
Do you have a memory of Donovan Patrick Mahoney? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Daily Hive staff
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