Obituary

Seanne ‘Gammy’ Tonkovich

Seanne passed away on Wednesday, June 27 after a short battle with lung cancer. She passed peacefully at home with her family surrounding her.

Seanne was a firecracker. She loved life and embraced every part of it with enthusiasm and integrity. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner, boat racer, Colorado Buffalo fan, NASCAR fan loved Carl Edwards, Rainbow Girl and Grand Cross of Color recipient, organizer of everything, collector, traveller, fisherman, team mom, arts & crafter, excellent cook, talented seamstress, decorator, room mom, camper, painter, computer game nut, pet owner, grandkid spoiler, pig roaster, founder of ‘Tonkovich Christmas’, volunteer, card player, bingo player, vodka lover and devoted friend.

Her favorite time of year was Christmas when she would decorate an over-sized Christmas tree selected by Kenny with ornaments purchased from many travel destinations. She would lavish so many gifts on the family that you could barely walk into the room without stepping on one of her colorfully wrapped packages. She loved having her family around her for all celebrations.

Seanne and Kenny designed and built their beloved River House in 1979. Seanne worked briefly at Bandini Fertilizer Co. as a receptionist to earn additional money to buy the little things to furnish the house. She had been going to the Colorado River near Parker since 1957 and visited for the last time on May 9, 2007. She loved the river and over the last 50 years had experienced some wild and crazy times partying and playing on, in and around the water. Lake Powell houseboating was an extension of her love for the river and a great way to spend family vacations.

Seanne loved to travel and see the country. She was proud to say she had been to every state in the union at least once and many of them more than once. When her grandson played football, she missed only one game in five years because it was in Hawaii at Christmas. She loved fishing in the Eastern Sierras and frying up the catch for the grandkids until the fish eye would turn white.

She and Kenny celebrated 50 years of marriage in May 2006 with many family and friends on John Wayne’s former yacht the Wild Goose in Newport Beach. She & Kenny then treated the entire family to a European cruise to continue the celebration. It gave Seanne a great sense of accomplishment knowing she could give to her family in ways to make life a little easier.

She was loved so much and will be missed every day.
Survived by beloved husband Ken Tonkovich:
Daughter Debbie Alan Gray of Laguna Niguel, Son Kenneth Katie Tonkovich of Downey;
Grandchildren Ryan Kirsten Gray of Irvine, Abigail Greg Stepp of Pensacola, FL and Kenneth R. Tonkovich of Downey.
 
Services to be held Monday, July 2nd, 1:00PM at O’Connor Mortuary Chapel, Laguna Hills. Donation in lieu of flowers to Operation Smile.

Click on above service links for driving directions as well as more charity information.