Kyra was born in New York City on January 14, 1971 to Miriam and Fernando Quijano and was the third of four children. She was the only girl and was adored by her three brothers.
The family lived in New Jersey and later Baltimore, Maryland where Kyra attended school. After graduating from high school, she studied radio broadcasting. Kyra’s greatest passion, however, came from working with people which led to a rich and rewarding career in retail sales and management.
Kyra joined the nationally successful company Sleep Number in 2007 and was passionate about Sleep Number’s mission to improve lives through better sleep. Her most recent managerial position was at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland. Kyra was instrumental in building the DC market, which included promotional work on QVC and CES.
Throughout Kyra’s career, she had a natural inclination for mentoring and had the ability to intuit raw talent in others. Kyra was able to instill confidence in her staff through her unique gifts of enthusiasm and kind encouragement. Because she was neither insecure nor jealous, she was the type of manager who delighted in watching her staff advance into management roles. Kyra was the consummate professional and felt that no task was beneath her. It was no wonder her staff adored her and together they consistently achieved award winning results.
Kyra considered her most treasured moment at Sleep Number to be the day she met a colleague who would become the love of her life. Kyra considered her marriage to her husband Kyle to be her crowning glory and together they modeled a daily love affair of the heart that inspired all who knew them.
Kyra was the quintessential living angel whose devotion to the Lord, her family and friends was the hallmark of her brief but magnificent life. Kyra had an aura of light and love that emanated from the inside out, a radiant beauty, full of grace and goodness.
Kyra was predeceased by her parents and younger brother, Joe. She is survived by her adoring husband, Kyle Doniff and his mother, Patti Morgan her devoted “Mama”, her brothers Charlie Carmona (Maritza D. Colon) and Fernando Quijano, nephews Cristiano and Fernando Quijano, Joseph and Jaren Soto, nieces Carla Carmona, Jada Soto, Kaitlyn Fletcher, Olivia and Ava Mensh. There are also scores of beloved aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to consider a gift, in Kyra Doniff’s memory, to support the INOVA Schar Cancer Institute Melanoma Research Fund. Gifts may be made online at www.inovacancer.org/donate and select “Melanoma Research” under gift designation or gifts may be made by check payable to INOVA Schar Cancer Institute (indicate Kyra Doniff in the memo) and mailed to INOVA Health Foundation, 8110 Gatehouse Road, Suite 200 East, Falls Church, VA 22042.
