In Memoriam: Donna Grady

Donna Grace (Rubino) Grady

Donna Grace (Rubino) Grady, beloved wife, mother and friend to all, passed away suddenly, but peacefully in her home on April 12, 2021. A native of Dunmore, PA, she attended Dunmore Central Catholic High School and worked as a wedding buyer at Oppenheim Department Store, where she developed her love of retail.

At age 19, she met the love of her life, Tom, and after they married, they navigated cross-country moves, parenthood, travel and owning businesses together. They have called New Jersey; Virginia Beach, VA; Irvine and Canyon Lake home. They enjoyed a wonderful life and celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in 2020.

Donna was a devoted mother, PTA President, Volunteer of the Year and employee of the Irvine Unified School District. She was her daughters’ biggest support and cheerleader, and a surrogate mother to many friends and employees.

She maintained many life-long friendships and was always active in her community. Her warm, beautiful smile lit up a room, and her gardening and party-hosting skills were unparalleled. She will be remembered for her thoughtfulness, selflessness and infectious personality, and will be dearly missed.

Donna was a driving force behind the family businesses, which included Redhawk Auto Service. Always an active learner, she was a member of the Automotive Training Institute (ATI), a 20-group leader, and helped Redhawk become one of the Top 25 shops in the country. She supported Jacob’s House Temecula and several other charities to ensure that others have support in their time of need.

After the tragic passing of her daughter Danielle, Donna and her other daughter Jennifer developed an annual scholarship in Danielle’s name at the University of Arizona, Sigma Kappa Sorority. The scholarship helps to defray education costs for promising students. She and Jennifer also planned beautiful community events in Danielle’s honor.

Donna is survived by her husband, Thomas; daughter, Jennifer; son-in-law Mitch Blecha; and numerous cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her daughter Danielle, father Donato Rubino, mother Jennie Summa and half-sister JoAnn Bordi. She was proud to finally become a dual Italian citizen with her daughter Jennifer this year.

A celebration of her life will take place on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Mariners Church in Irvine, California, with both in-person and live stream services available. Please visit https://www.miller-jones.com/obituaries/Donna-Grady/ for more information, and a calendar of events. Due to venue restrictions, please RSVP at the link provided for each event, or to Tom or Jennifer.