Peter Donald Rimac

July 5, 1937 – March 10, 2024

Santa Clarita — Peter Donald (Don) Rimac, ED.D., passed away on March 10, 2024, in Santa Clarita, California, at the age of 86. Don spent his final days in the care and company of his loving family and friends. He passed away peacefully and without pain at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Don was born on July 5, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Peter and Mary (Lazuka) Rimac. He grew up in the southeast side of Chicago before moving with his family to Southern California in 1951, where he graduated from Torrance High School. Interested in pursuing the field of education, Don earned a BA from the University of Southern California (USC) and an MA from California State University Long Beach.

In 1961, after graduation and the end of his first teaching contract, Don was drafted into the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey, as a Private First Class. After an honorable discharge in 1963, Don returned to teaching, while studying for an advanced degree in education. In 1977, he earned a Doctor of Education from the USC and went on to enjoy a 40-year career in education leadership. A lifelong USC football fan, Don often traveled to away games with fellow alums to cheer on his beloved Trojans.

In 1968, Don met Dulcy Bradford on a flight to Europe. They married the next year, and settled in Half Moon Bay, California, where he was later named principal of Pescadero High School. In 1972, Don and Dulcy welcomed their daughter, Nicole. When Don accepted an executive administrative position in the Los Angeles school district, he and Dulcy moved to Santa Clarita, where they welcomed their son, Peter, in 1975, and put down roots. Don held a number of prominent positions in the field of public education leadership and, after a prestigious 40-year career, he retired in 1999.

Don was a fun and jovial husband, father, brother, friend, and uncle, with a youthful laugh and boyish spirit. His annual Christmas letters were legendary, full of news and stories of family activities and adventures, all punctuated with comics cut from newspapers — usually featuring cats. Don and his four brothers were all kind and personable gentlemen — he came from good people.

Don enjoyed traveling the world with Dulcy, filling their passports with stamps from faraway places. He and his son Peter visited baseball stadiums together, even as recently as April 2023, when they visited Rickman Field, the oldest baseball park in America, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

An active and dedicated Christian, Don was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Santa Clarita for close to 50 years.

Don is preceded in death by his loving wife Dulcy Laura (Bradford) Rimac; his daughter Nicole, who passed away December 29, 2023, and his son Peter, who passed away February 23, 2024; his mother, Mary, and his father, Peter; and his four brothers, Thomas, Floyd, Joseph, and Richard. Don is survived by many cherished nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his very best friend and fellow USC graduate, Erik Stach, who helped Don through good times and challenging times. One could not ask for a better friend than Erik.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Rimac family memorial service and celebration of life for Don and his children, Nicole and Peter, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 24901 Orchard Village Rd, Santa Clarita, CA, at 11:00 a.m., April 6, 2024. Services will be in person as well as live-streamed. The Very Reverend Christopher Montella, Rector, will perform the service.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center (https://myscvcoa.org/donate/).