Donna Rose Eisele Obituary
Age 87, died peacefully at home on March 20, 2026 in Bremerton, Washington.
Donna was born on August 14, 1938, to James and Evelyn Willingham of East Los Angeles. As she rollerskated around the diverse neighborhood, she learned that everyone had value regardless of difference. She carried this trait of friendly acceptance throughout her life. As a teenager, her family moved to Whittier, CA. It was there she graduated from Cal High in the school's first senior graduating class of Condors. Despite not liking school, she earned an AA in Business from Fullerton College. She began work as a buyer for a big department store in L.A. but then went into banking. Donna worked for many banks, eventually retiring from Union Bank in Camarillo, CA.
It was through square dancing that she met her former husband, Ronnie. They married in 1960 and moved to Thousand Oaks, CA. Weekends were spent water skiing and camping. In 1965, Donna gave birth to a daughter, Mindy. She took Mindy everywhere on her Indian motorcycle. Donna loved adventure. She said often, "If there's a bus leaving town, I'm on it!".
Throughout her life, Donna loved shopping for treasures, especially antiques. She also enjoyed bridge and many arts and crafts showing talent for macrame and ceramics painting. For all but the last seven years, she also loved the companionship of her dogs.
During the 1970's Donna drove around the country towing the family's tunnel boat, "Over Easy". Ronnie flew in on the weekends to race but then returned to SoCal to work. It took courage and a sense of humor to tackle living on the road with a young daughter. Many good friends and memories remain from those crazy racing days.
It also took courage to pull up stakes and move from California to Colorado on her own after her divorce. For eighteen years in Colorado, she enjoyed shopping, traveling, biking and cross country skiing before moving to Washington state to be closer to Mindy and her husband, Dan. For twelve years Donna and Mindy enjoyed weekly road trips and memorable meals. The adventures were always filled with laughter and love.
Donna will be remembered for her kindness and unfailing sense of humor. She enjoyed her life fully. Now she's off on her next adventure. If there's shopping in heaven, she'll find the best deal.
Donna is survived by her daughter Mindy Warzynak-Eisele (Dan) Seabeck, WA, sister Linda (Ross) Canright, Avon Park, FL, niece Lisa and nephew Eric also in Florida, sister-in-law, Kim Eisele (Becky) in Portland, OR, who was always like another daughter to Donna, and cousins Wanda Cantell, and Dan and Bev Atkinson in Colorado.
