Donis Annalee Eichhorn

1929 - 2024

Donis Annalee Eichhorn

October 23, 1929 - June 19, 2024

Carmichael, California - Donis Eichhorn, Ph.D., 94, passed away peacefully at home on June 19, 2024. She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Erwin A. Eichhorn, MD, her three children, Robert, Rebecca, and Nancy, and her grandchildren Jordan and Sophia.

Born on October 23, 1929, at the Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA, Donis grew up in Bakersfield, CA. She was the cherished daughter of Erma and John Leslie Baker and a loving older sister to Robert Baker; all preceded her passing. Donis's favorite childhood memories include meeting her best friend Georgia Lee Morrison for ice cream at Dewar's Candy Shop and vacationing in Sequoia National Park. She interned at Miss Friese's Maternity Hospital where she found her passion for taking care of babies, which became her lifelong pursuit.

She graduated from the U.C.S.F. School of Nursing (B.S. and R.N. in Nursing) in 1952. A friend introduced her to Erwin Eichhorn, an intern at the San Francisco County Hospital, where Donis was an instructor in communicable disease nursing. Little did they know on that fateful first date that they were destined to be lifelong lovers and 'movers and shakers' in the fields of obstetrics and infant-parent mental health. They were married on November 21, 1955, at Saint John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, CA. And began their life together.

Donis was a lifelong learner. She organized and directed the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at U. C. Davis where she was an Associate Clinical Professor and taught at the Center for Child and Family Studies. She earned her master's degree in Maternal and Child Nursing and her Doctorate in Marital and Family Therapy. In the early 2000s, she and Erwin dedicated the Eichhorn Family House on the U.C. Davis campus to support ongoing studies in parent and infant interactions.

Aside from her immense professional achievements, Donis loved spending time with friends and family. Her faith never faltered, giving her peace throughout life and death. Donis was an active member and a church elder of Fremont Presbyterian Church, Sacramento.

Donis was a positive energetic force, willing to jump in saying, "Let's make a plan". She believed that "if there's a will, there's a way," and that if "one is good, two is better." She had a "bluebird" on her shoulder and good fortune shined down upon her wherever she went. She carved numerous pathways in educational and nursing fields and family care. She embraced her motto, "You all come" welcoming all to share in her adventures.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Fall of 2024.