Donnalee DeVoe

Donnalee DeVoe (a.k.a. Zarinea Zolivea) passed away at the age of 80. She was born April 25,1942, in San Francisco, CA and died September 1, 2022, in Northridge, CA. She was born to Grace Marie Oliver DeVoe and Donald Baldwin DeVoe and was their only child. She moved to Las Vegas, NV with her family in 1945 where her father became one of the original owners of Palm Mortuary.

She grew up in Las Vegas and attended Bishop Gorman High School, where she was a sports writer, a drill team member and won awards for public speaking. She earned her AA degree at Clark County Community College and maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Years later, she went on to earn her BA, Masters, PhD, and become an ordained minister. After graduating from high school, she contemplated becoming a nun, but in 1963, she met and fell in love with Alfonso Roldan. They were married in 1965 at St. Bridgets Catholic Church in Las Vegas. They moved to Arizona, where they had their first child, Monica, in 1966. Shortly thereafter they moved to Kansas where they had their second child, Michelle in 1968. In 1969, Donnalee started her own business out of her home – Humpty Dumpty Nursery school. In 1970, she and her family moved to Singapore for Alfonso’s job. In 1973, following her divorce, she moved backto Las Vegas with her daughters. In 1980 she and her daughters moved to California so Donnalee could attend ministerial school. She remained in California until her death.

For most of her life, she worked as a teacher and enjoyed her profession very much. When she retired, she enjoyed volunteering in literacy programs, reading, learning, and being near her children. The guiding principle in her life was to know God, to love God, and to serve God. She was a remarkable woman – always reading, seeking, learning and being the very best mother to her children. Her life influenced and shaped her family’s values and taught us empathy, love, kindness, and forgiveness. She was one of a kind – unique, colorful, and special in a myriad of ways. She succeeded in making her children feel so very loved and cherished, We will miss her every day, but will always remember her and feel her unconditional love in our hearts forever.