Obituary

Our mother, Donnie Arroyo, age 81 of San Clemente, CA died Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at Coastline Community Hospital in Santa Ana, CA.

Donnie was born Minnie Mary Bonanno on April 14, 1928 in Queens, New York of Sicilian parents. She grew up in New York State with her many cousins, aunts & uncles; proud of her Italian roots and with a strong faith in God and her Catholic upbringing. After high school she moved with her parents to California where she attended business college and met our dad. They were married on December 30, 1950 at Holy Angels Church in Arcadia, CA. She lived a simple, frugal life devoted to her husband, Gus and her four children, Steve, Diane, Tom and Denise.

Our mother’s greatest love in her early years was our many family camping trips to Yosemite & Sequoia National Parks, El Capitan State Beach, and King’s Canyon; tent camping under the stars, firing up the Coleman stove with something wonderful cooking & just enjoying nature around us. In her mid-years, she & our dad enjoyed taking off in their small camper to Huntington Beach State Park on the southern California coast where they shared many camp fires with family & friends.

Mom was devoted to her family and took pride in her flavorful cooking and amazing baking. Every holiday celebration was made special by the meals she prepared and the baking that came out of her oven. We all looked forward to her ?mile high? apple pie and the many varieties of Christmas cookies, especially her snowballs!

She loved her potted plants which she kept all over their home; she had such a green thumb that she could bring any twig back to life and to full bloom. Pansies and African Violets were her favorites. She loved her crafts also and could ?doodle? for many hours with her little projects and create all kinds of inventive treasures.

Donnie is survived by her husband of 59 years, Gus, her eldest son, Steve, and his boys Justin, Brandon and Darren; her eldest daughter, Diane and her husband David; her middle son, Tom and her youngest daughter Denise, her husband Jerry and granddaughter Makaela.

The pain and suffering is behind her now and she is at peace in heaven with our Lord. We love you, Mom; you will be greatly missed by us all!