Dr. Donald John De Martini, EdD

December 23, 2023

Dr. Donald John De Martini EdD (1932-2023) passed away on December 23, 2023. He is survived by his children, Claudine, Anne-Marie and Michael; his son-in-law, Giuseppe Ragusa; his daughter-inlaw, Alisha De Martini; and six adoring grandchildren, Kirra, Talia, Marco, Amina, Isabella and Lucca. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 55 years, Cecilia De Martini.

Dr. De Martini was born on November 2, 1932, in San Francisco, Calif. He was the son of Joseph and Laura De Martini.

Dr. De Martini attended St. Ignatius High School (class of 1950). He graduated from the University of San Francisco and received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1954. In 1959, he earned his Master’s degree in Education from San Francisco State University. He went on to complete his EdD at the University of California, Berkeley in 1971.

Dr. De Martini was a lifelong educator with more than four decades of service in the bay area and Mendocino County. In 1971, he worked as the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction for the Ukiah Unified School District.

In 1981, Dr. De Martini was named Educator of the Year by the University of San Francisco, receiving the Dr. Edward J. Griffith Award, the second person to have done so. He was chosen from among 5,000 education alumni based on his collegial record, his contribution to improving instruction across different school districts, and his performance as the instructor in USF’s Master of Arts Education program held in Ukiah.

From 1987 to 1991, Dr. De Martini was the Superintendent of Schools.

Donald was a kind, loving and funny person. He was an avid swimmer. He could be seen driving around Ukiah in his 1963 Chevy Impala or his 1964 Triumph Spitfire.

He will be dearly missed. A rosary will be recited in his honor on Thursday, January 4th, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Ukiah. A Mass will also be celebrated at St. Mary on Friday, January 5th at 10:00 a.m. He will be buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma on Friday, January 5th at 3:00 p.m.

Eversole Mortuary is in charge of arrangements 707-462-2206.