Donna S. Burch

September 3, 1941 - August 15, 2020

RAMONA — Donna Sue Burch,

78, passed away peacefully on August 15, 2020, at her home in Ramona, California, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. She has been a resident of Ramona since March 1976.

Donna was born to Alton Mcdonald and Mable Leslie (Maggard) Richardson in Chickasha, Oklahoma, on September 3, 1941. The following year the family moved to Hale Center, Texas, for a short stay before moving on to Lorenzo, Texas, where Donna first attended school while her father worked as a cotton farmer and Real Estate agent, and her mother as a school teacher. Eventually, her family began to alternate residences between Lorenzo and Lubbock.

Donna graduated from Monterey High School in Lubbock in 1960 and immediately started her college education at Texas Tech. In June of 1960, Donna was introduced by a friend to the person who became the love of her life, Richard Burch, at the Tech Student Union Building. They dated for three years before marrying in August 1963 and lived happily together for 57 years. Shortly after marriage Donna graduated with her BBA Degree in Retailing in January 1964 and started work to help Richard finish his education.

During her lifetime, Donna was a homemaker and a very loving spouse and worked at a variety of jobs starting with her early days in San Diego as a young Navy wife working for temporary employment agencies to Copley Press and Berryman & Hennigar to her last position as a

retail clerk at Sun Valley Florist in Ramona, prior to the sale of that business. Donna belonged to several Miniature House groups over the years and thoroughly enjoyed making and assembling small scale houses and room boxes, complete with furniture and accessories. With the help of beloved friends, she last worked on 1/48” scale houses and furnishings until her failing eyesight, dizziness, and tremors overcame her abilities to continue.

She truly cherished the many close friendships she formed over the years at different workplaces and in the world of miniatures. Donna was also an avid collector of Turquoise jewelry and enjoyed, immensely, reading about and traveling to the Gallup New Mexico, Quartzite, and Tucson, Arizona areas, to look at all different kinds of turquoise. Another favorite pastime was to sit near the beach and watch and listen to the surf.

The family would very much like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful ladies at Elizabeth Hospice in Escondido, CA, for their care and support during Donna’s final months.

Donna loved the Lord and put her faith in him. During her battle with Parkinson’s disease, she used the Lord to find her strength and fought bravely.

Her survivors include her loving husband of 57 years, Richard, seven cousins Daphne (Jackson) Ashburn, Teresa (Spence) Spencer, Melissa (Harvey) Turnbow, Sharon (Phil) Featherston, Alan (Kathy) Davis, Arden (Sandra) Davis, and Cynthia Tooley, all living in the Texas or New Mexico areas. Sister-in-law Brenda Burch of Inola, Oklahoma, Sister-in-law Carol (Glenn) Wonderley of Broken Arrow, and brother-in-law Dennis Burch of Tulsa. Donna was preceded in death by her parents and stepmother Trula Maude Richardson.

A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date as conditions permit.

Please sign the Guest Book online obituaries.sandiegouniontribune.com