Donaldina Cameron Klingen

January 29, 1942 March 22, 2020

Donaldina Cameron Klingen “Donnie” died at home in Corte Madera, CA, March 22, 2020 after a short battle with cancer. She was 78. She was born in Palo Alto, California on January 29, 1942, the daughter of Donald Cameron and Rosemary Sloan Richter. At the time, her family lived in Manila, Philippines, but were on home leave visiting relatives. In early December 1941 they boarded a ship back to Manila, but the events of December 7 sent the ship back to California where Donnie was born and where they remained for the duration of the war. She was named after her famous great-aunt Donaldina Cameron, a founding figure of San Francisco’s Cameron House. Donnie spent much of her childhood in Manila. She attended the American School (now the International School Manila) where she was involved in a wide range of athletic and social activities. Her senior year of high school was spent at La Chatelaine, a private school in St. Blaise, Switzerland. Donnie graduated from Mills College in 1963 with a degree in Art, later earning a teaching credential at University of California, Berkeley. She became a much-loved art teacher at Piedmont High School where she taught for many years. In the early 1980s she married Alan Klingen, and together they enjoyed years of travel and adventure. Donnie was an expert diver and skier. She and Alan spent many summers adventure diving in places like Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Palau in the Pacific. They owned a cabin near Lake Tahoe where they spent winters skiing with friends. As a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Donnie conducted tours for children, helping them to learn about and appreciate the collections. It was a task she loved. Donnie will be remembered for her wit and sense of humor, her deep appreciation of art, her passion for sports and the outdoors, and especially her love of the many dogs she owned over the years. Her parents and her brother Grant MacKenzie Cameron predeceased her. She is survived by her husband Alan and her countless friends. Donations in her name can be made to Mills College or Family Dog Rescue in San Francisco.