Donna Napolitano, beloved educator and mother, passed Saturday, January 1, 2022 at her home in Manteca, California. She was 90 years young.
A lifelong reader who loved to teach and nurture others, Donna was born Donna Marie Scilacci in 1931 in Point Reyes Station, California to parents, Wilford and Irma Scilacci. Her earliest memories were those of her family’s ranch, entrepreneurial family spirit and her parent's strong desire to give their children the best possible educational opportunities. They did exactly that for all four of their children. After graduating from College of the Holy Names in 1953, Donna went on to do her student teaching and obtain her General Education Credential. She met her husband Robert “Bob” Napolitano in 1959, married in 1960 and started their family in Fremont, California. Donna was a loving and devoted wife to Bob for 58 years until his passing in 2018.
The majority of Donna’s 40 plus year teaching career was spent thriving at Maloney Elementary School in Fremont. Over the years, she touched the lives of over 1200 students in the first through third grades. Teaching was her great passion and she recounted stories of the students and parents until the last days of her life. Many of her lifetime friends were those she met through teaching. She always had her retirement scrapbook nearby to reminisce those school days that filled her with so much joy. Donna had two other great loves, her family and crossword puzzles. She was sharp and organized all her life. Keeping in close touch with her extended family was so important to her. Dubbed by her nieces and nephews as their “favorite aunt”, Donna loved her phone calls and visits and being kept in the loop on their lives. She shared weekly phone calls with her loving older brother Bill and always knew exactly what was going on in the lives of all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved hearing about their classes, activities and of course, their grades. Donna enjoyed traveling with friends, her parents and her sister, “Skip” (except for the time that Skip got lost in Paris), summers at the family home in Lake Tahoe and the years of family holidays and gatherings. She never quite mastered jello salad, but she made a mean batch of fudge. Donna loved her home and it showed. She enjoyed crafting, decorating and baking. The simplest pleasures in life brought the most joy. Throughout her life Donna quietly supported many charitable causes and donated countless hours of time to help others. She lead a caring and selfless life.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents Wilford and Irma Scilacci, her brother Robert Scilacci, sister Edwina “Skip” Adoradio, sister in law Joan Scilacci and nephew Robert “Bobby” Scilacci.
She is survived and dearly missed by her daughter Lisa Boone and husband John, grand daughters Ashley Hinman, Brittany Hinman, Caitlin Thompson and husband Steve, great-grandchildren Maddison DeLuna, Bailey DeLuna, Emma DeLuna, Rider Hinman-Shockey, Oliver Thompson and one sweet little girl on the way, brother William “Bill” Scilacci, sister Mary Scilacci, cousins Ralph and Claudia Cheda, step children John Napolitano, Joyce Ryan, Toni Davis and many adored and loving nieces and nephews.
Donna diligently completed her final crossword puzzle on December 15th. A family celebration of Donna’s life will be held in the Spring.
Manteca ( Calif.) Bulletin
A lifelong reader who loved to teach and nurture others, Donna was born Donna Marie Scilacci in 1931 in Point Reyes Station, California to parents, Wilford and Irma Scilacci. Her earliest memories were those of her family’s ranch, entrepreneurial family spirit and her parent's strong desire to give their children the best possible educational opportunities. They did exactly that for all four of their children. After graduating from College of the Holy Names in 1953, Donna went on to do her student teaching and obtain her General Education Credential. She met her husband Robert “Bob” Napolitano in 1959, married in 1960 and started their family in Fremont, California. Donna was a loving and devoted wife to Bob for 58 years until his passing in 2018.
The majority of Donna’s 40 plus year teaching career was spent thriving at Maloney Elementary School in Fremont. Over the years, she touched the lives of over 1200 students in the first through third grades. Teaching was her great passion and she recounted stories of the students and parents until the last days of her life. Many of her lifetime friends were those she met through teaching. She always had her retirement scrapbook nearby to reminisce those school days that filled her with so much joy. Donna had two other great loves, her family and crossword puzzles. She was sharp and organized all her life. Keeping in close touch with her extended family was so important to her. Dubbed by her nieces and nephews as their “favorite aunt”, Donna loved her phone calls and visits and being kept in the loop on their lives. She shared weekly phone calls with her loving older brother Bill and always knew exactly what was going on in the lives of all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved hearing about their classes, activities and of course, their grades. Donna enjoyed traveling with friends, her parents and her sister, “Skip” (except for the time that Skip got lost in Paris), summers at the family home in Lake Tahoe and the years of family holidays and gatherings. She never quite mastered jello salad, but she made a mean batch of fudge. Donna loved her home and it showed. She enjoyed crafting, decorating and baking. The simplest pleasures in life brought the most joy. Throughout her life Donna quietly supported many charitable causes and donated countless hours of time to help others. She lead a caring and selfless life.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents Wilford and Irma Scilacci, her brother Robert Scilacci, sister Edwina “Skip” Adoradio, sister in law Joan Scilacci and nephew Robert “Bobby” Scilacci.
She is survived and dearly missed by her daughter Lisa Boone and husband John, grand daughters Ashley Hinman, Brittany Hinman, Caitlin Thompson and husband Steve, great-grandchildren Maddison DeLuna, Bailey DeLuna, Emma DeLuna, Rider Hinman-Shockey, Oliver Thompson and one sweet little girl on the way, brother William “Bill” Scilacci, sister Mary Scilacci, cousins Ralph and Claudia Cheda, step children John Napolitano, Joyce Ryan, Toni Davis and many adored and loving nieces and nephews.
Donna diligently completed her final crossword puzzle on December 15th. A family celebration of Donna’s life will be held in the Spring.
Manteca ( Calif.) Bulletin
Friday, January 28, 2022
