Donna Reed Martin

Donna Reed Martin

March 5, 1941 - September 3, 2024

Donna Reed Martin passed away peacefully with her family by her side on September 3, 2024. Born in Portland, she was raised in Glendale, the oldest of three children of Ralph Russell Reed and Jean Reed. She was wicked smart and athletic, skipping a grade and playing tennis on the Glendale High boys' team (as there was not a girls' tennis team at that time). She received a full math scholarship to attend Stanford University. In September 1958, when Donna was checking into her dorm her freshman year at Stanford, she met then-senior Doug Martin, another Stanford Indian (now Cardinal) student who was raised in Glendale. They fell in love, and were married on September 2, 1961. When Doug graduated and entered Loyola Law School, she transferred to UCLA, but with her first child on the way in her third year of college, she suspended her education to raise a family.

Doug, Donna and the family moved to South Pasadena in 1963, and raised four children there. Donna was involved in so many charities and other initiatives. She could not help herself-if she formed or joined an organization, she had to be one of its leaders. She founded the Mayfield Supply Store for Mayfield Jr. School in Pasadena, which provided new and used books, used uniforms and school supplies for the school. She founded and coached the tennis team for Mayfield Jr. School, continuing on with her school involvement through 1991, a full nine years after the youngest of her four kids had graduated from the grammar school. She chipped in wherever she could, being very active in the Junior League of Pasadena, and even took a role as the assistant coach for her son's Little League coach, a rarity for a woman to do so.



In 1991, Doug moved his law practice to Palm Desert, so Doug and Donna relocated to La Quinta. She worked with the McCallum Theatre and the Stanford Club of the Desert, but her favorite charity was the Literary Society of the Desert.

A lifelong avid tennis player, Donna could be found playing at Annandale Golf Club, the Valley Hunt Club and La Quinta Country Club. The alumni division of Mayfield's tennis fundraiser is named in her honor. Though a teetotaler her whole life, she loved a party and so many other social events. She was a member of numerous singing groups. Doug and Donna traveled extensively to many Stanford athletic events, and she would not leave any sporting event until the Stanford band had stopped playing.

Donna is survived by her husband of 63 years Doug, her children Dianne King (Brian), Dennis Martin (Hiroko Onoda) and Devon Martin (Noah Lansner), eight grandchildren, six great grandchildren and her younger brother Rick Reed (Patti). She is predeceased by her parents Ralph and Jean Reed, her brother Dave Reed, her daughter Daryn Martin-Magee, her granddaughter Madison Magee, and her great-grandson Kannen Blevens.

A Celebration of Life will be at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California at 5 pm on September 13, 2024. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Donna's name to the Literary Society of the Desert.

May Donna rest in peace.