Rita Beatrice Donoian

Rita, our beautiful Mom, passed away after a long, happy, and healthy life.  Her parents, Jean and John Philibosian, came to this country from Turkey when they were young.  Rita was born in Los Angeles.   She and her brother traveled around the country with their parents while her father pursued job opportunities.  Finally settling back in Los Angeles, she attended UCLA, only leaving in her senior year to marry Oscar, her lifelong husband who passed away in 2008.  Rita was a great cook and a wonderful hostess, talented, stylish and fun, and beloved by all who knew her.  They were a very popular couple with lots of friends and activities.

After their marriage, the Donoians raised their kids in Belmont, CA before building their beautiful home in Los Altos Hills.  Once the kids left home, Oscar and Rita alternated between Lake Almanor and a timeshare in Hawaii, then mostly stayed in Palm Desert, CA.  At Almanor, they built a beautiful home on the lake, where they enjoyed entertaining friends and family every summer, particularly their grandchildren.  Everyone enjoyed going out on their boat and many water activities.  This went on for many years.  Rita also volunteered for Children’s Health Council and the John Tracy Clinic for the deaf and hearing impaired.

After Oscar passed, Rita had moved to Menlo Park.  She brought home a puppy, Mae Ling, her darling shih tzu, who became her constant companion for over 15 years.  We will always remember when Rita took us kids and our spouses on wonderful cruises, one to the Mediterranean and one to South America.  She enjoyed it all and was a very happy traveler. 

Rita is survived by her two children, Darryl Donoian and Christine MacBride, and their spouses David Stone and Alex MacBride, her three grandchildren Cynthia Charette, Morgan MacBride and Cameron MacBride, and four great-grandkids Sloan, Logan, Miles, and Cooper, plus many other relatives.  She will be missed by all who knew her.