Anita Mae Donelan

Mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Anita Mae (Martin) Donelan passed away on Saturday, September 20th.

She was born in 1935 in Roseburg, Oregon as a Christmas-time baby with bright red hair and a love of all things Christmas. She had a generous soul and would always fill the house with gifts and family for the holidays. She loved to exercise and kept up her daily aerobics routine until the final years of her life.

She moved to Pacifica with her high school sweetheart turned husband Clement “Bud” Donelan (1928 - 2018). She was a long time Pacifica resident and once traveled to Seoul with the Pacifica Square Dancing community. She worked as a phone operator before cooking for 20 years at the Peninsula Tennis Club where she was the club favorite, well known for both her homemade snickerdoodle and chocolate chip cookies. She loved the 49ers and playing Bingo with her friends, where she always came home a big winner. Her luck traveled with her everywhere she went and she even once won a slot machine at a casino.

Anita had four children Cindy Rauenbuehler (Dave), Gary Donelan (Elizabeth), David Donelan, and Jan Quade (Dan), nine grandchildren Katy, Keith, Kelley, Colton, Christina, Brent, Brooke, Brianna, and Brandon, and thirteen great grandchildren. She was the matriarch of the family and always brought a style of turquoise color coordinated outfits along with delicious food, especially her famous sweet potato casserole.

She was a resident of Peninsula Del Rey where she was on the Welcome Committee and an avid Bingo player. She loved her community and was very proud of her family and would show off her great grandchildren at every opportunity.

She will be missed by many and remembered for her sociable, kind, and stylish approach to life. She will be laid to rest at Woodlawn in Colma alongside her lifelong partner “Bud” Donelan.