Donna Marie Robinson

1957 - 2021

Donna Marie Robinson
November 12, 1957 - May 31, 2021
Encinitas
On May 31, 2021, Donna Marie Robinson passed away suddenly at her home in Encinitas, CA after a courageous six-year battle with cardiomyopathy. Donna Marie was born in Chicago, IL on November 12, 1957. She received her BA and MBA degrees from the University of Chicago. Donna Marie had a long and successful career in commercial banking and spent four years at Loan Pricing Corporation, a Reuters subsidiary, while in New York. She retired in 2013 as Vice President/Client Manager for Bank of America. Over the course of her career, Donna Marie moved from Chicago to Madison, WI to New Jersey before coming to San Diego in 2003.Donna Marie was an extraordinary woman who made a difference in everything she did. She embraced serving LGBT causes, underserved communities, mentoring and education, and safety for women and children in need. During her retirement, she was able to totally devote her time to her philanthropic pursuits, family, and friends, which brought her joy every day. Donna Marie was a member of The San Diego Foundation's Board of Governors for the past seven years. She was serving on The Foundation's Executive Committee, Black Community Investment Fund, and COVID Impact Loan Fund. With a passion for creating positive change and seeing young people flourish, she was also heavily involved in The Foundation's scholarship program. She volunteered countless hours every year to review applications and determine award recipients. The Donna Marie Robinson Memorial Scholarship Fund is being established at The Foundation in her memory.Donna Marie was a fierce and passionate advocate for women's health and health equity as a member of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Executive Leadership team and Vice Chair of the Circle for Red giving society. In 2019, she was featured in "Faces of Go Red for Women," a campaign spotlighting the need for research on women's heart health.She was a member of the Encinitas Coastal Rotary for 16 years, including a term as President. She actively participated in Rotary's many charitable activities locally and internationally. Donna Marie embodied Rotary's mottos "Service Above Self" and "One Profits Most Who Serves Best." Previously, she was a member of the San Diego Women's Foundation, the Community Resource Center, and the LEAD San Diego Alumni Association Council. Donna Marie is survived by her soulmate and spouse of 32 years, Cynthia Kellogg of Encinitas, CA. She was the loving daughter of Raymond and Lottie Robinson of Plymouth, MN. Donna Marie is also survived by her sister, Rhonda Groll, and her nephews, Josh Groll (Stephanie) and Jordan Groll (Alison), all in the greater Minneapolis area. Donna Marie adored her grandniece, Gracelynn, and her grandnephew, Weston. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Kathy (Nick) Flynn, Amy (Leo) Chausee, and Liz Derouin. Donna Marie's unbounded optimism, incredible energy for life and deep love for family and friends will be sorely missed. She loved to travel throughout the US and world with friends and family, with wonderful memories of trips to Machu Pichu, the Amazon, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, and many European countries, most recently Sweden, Iceland and Norway. Every interaction with Donna Marie, whether a phone call, walk on the neighborhood trails, or sharing a glass of wine, left one feeling better and happier because of her positivity, kindness, and big smile. She would light up any room that she entered without even trying. It is difficult to imagine a world where we won't hear "Cool Beans" or "Alright, darlin'. Love you lots" at the end of a conversation.A Celebration of Life service will be held on July 11th at 1:00 pm at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92027. Donations in her memory may be made to: (1) The Donna Marie Robinson Memorial Scholarship Fund # 7571 at The San Diego Foundation (SDFoundation.org/DonnaMarie) or by calling Donor Services at 619-814-1332; or (2) to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org/donate) or P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284; or (3) Rotary Foundation at (https://www.my.rotary.org/en/donate).