Funeral arrangements for beloved basketball coach Anne Donovan announced

Funeral services and a public celebration for famed basketball coach, Olympian and former Ridgewood resident Anne Donovan were announced recently.

Donovan, 56, died suddenly of heart failure on June 13, and her family confirmed her death in a statement last week.

"While it is extremely difficult to express how devastating it is to lose Anne, our family remains so very grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful human being," the statement said.

"Anne touched many lives as a daughter, sister, aunt, friend and coach. Anne was a person with strong faith, courageous spirit, a giving heart and love for everyone," her family's statement continued. "We are so proud of her accomplishments as a women's basketball player and coach, but even more proud of her character, integrity, humility and kindness."

The funeral for family and friends will be June 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Feeney Funeral Home in Ridgewood. A public celebration of Donovan's life and her many accomplishments will take place June 30 at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus. Another memorial honoring her will be held for friends and neighbors in Wilmington, North Carolina.

"Anne was known for her strong faith, courageous spirit and a giving heart. She was valued in her personal and professional relationships for her character, integrity, humility and kindness," her obituary said. "She will be remembered by the many people whose lives she touched for her generous spirit."

The story continues belowthe gallery.

Athlete, Olympian, coach

Donovan was a well-known figure on the basketball court, playing for Paramus Catholic, and remains Bergen County's all-time leading scorer. She stood 6-foot-8 and played center.

She was recently inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, in addition to being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Anne Donovan:A one-of-a-kind athlete in Bergen County

Memorial:What they're saying about Anne Donovan, North Jersey sports legend

Anne Donovan:Rose Battaglia, North Jersey athletics world on the basketball legend

Donovan won a national championship at Old Dominion University and two Olympic gold medals in the 1980s, and she coached the U.S. to gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In addition to coaching the Olympic team and at Seton Hall, she coached the WNBA's Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever, Charlotte Sting, New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun. She led the Storm to a national championship in 2004, becoming the first female coach and the youngest coach (42) to win a title in the WNBA.

"USA Basketball mourns the passing of Anne Donovan. She played for her first USA Basketball team in 1977 and during her Hall of Fame, 31-year USA career, she was a member of five U.S. Olympic teams and four USA World Championship teams as an athlete and coach, culminating in leading the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team to gold as our head coach in Beijing," USA Basketball said in a statement. "She used to say she bled red, white and blue. As much as we remember her accomplishments in the game, we mourn a great friend who will be greatly missed."

This article contains material from The Associated Press.