Computer Executive Donald Brosnan Dies : Obituary: His career spanned about 35 years. He last served as CEO at Gateway Communications in Irvine.

Donald F. Brosnan, a longtime computer industry executive, died Monday of cancer. He was 61.

Brosnan’s career spanned more than 35 years and several foreign countries, including jobs in Canada and England, according to his family.

Brosnan had served as president and chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Irvine-based Gateway Communications Inc., a maker of computer networking and communications equipment, for two months last spring before stepping down because of his illness.

He also worked as a consultant and executive for several companies in the computer and data systems fields, including MSI Data Corp., Honeywell, Hillman Ventures Inc. and Applied Information Memories.

In a prepared statement, Patrick Cadigan, who took over as Gateway’s chief executive officer, said, “Don Brosnan was a fabulous human being--a leader, a friend and a great counselor to me and to Gateway Communications. He was a man of extraordinary ability, vision and integrity.”

Brosnan is survived by his wife, Kingsley; two sons, Rick and Tim; and a daughter, Kingsley, all of Newport Beach.

Visitation is from noon to 4 p.m. today at Pacific View Memorial Park, 3500 Pacific View Drive, in Newport Beach. Services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at St. John Vianney Chapel, 314 Marine Ave., Balboa Island.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Hoag Hospital Cancer Program, 301 Newport Blvd., Box Y, Newport Beach, CA 92658.