Donna Keats

Donna Jean Keats was always happy, optimistic and caring. She could meet someone and become their friend and confidante in minutes. To family and friends who knew her best, Donna will be remembered as the person who could always be relied upon to help with whatever problem arose.

Donna was born on October 7, 1958 at Rio Hondo Memorial Hospital in Downey, California. She was the daughter of Donald and Roberta Ebeling. Donna grew up in Lakewood, California.

Donna was raised with two older sisters, Deborah and Denise. She and her sisters shared many life experiences over the years, but her best friend, Pam Selter, was in many ways much closer.

As a young girl, Donna developed an interest in animals. She had a natural talent for training dogs, and with her strong competitive nature, that led to her competing and winning in numerous dog agility contests. She extended these abilities to riding and showing horses.

The death of her father in 1974 effected an abrupt transition to adulthood. She graduated from Gahr High School in 1976. She enrolled at Cerritos College from which she earned her Associates Degree in Nursing in 1978.

Upon obtaining her nursing credentials, she was employed by Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach. It was here that she became friends with a patient, Gretchen Robb, who would convince her to give a young man, who would become her husband, a second date. Several of Gretchen's watercolor paintings are displayed in Donna's art collection.

On July 20, 1985 Donna exchanged wedding vows with Dennis Ray Keats at Wayfarer's Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Although Donna enjoyed what she did for a living and continued nursing for over 10 years, following her move to Riverside in 1987 to a property with spectacular views, she chose to return to school. She enrolled at Fullerton College. Upon completing a program in Architecture, Interior Design, and Construction, she used her talent to plan, design, and build the Dream Home in which she and her husband would live from March 2002.

Donna enjoyed many hobbies. Her various pursuits included dog training, horse training, glass crafts, gardening, koi, modern art, and kaleidoscopes. She trained many dogs: Sherman, Pancake, Inga, Ursula, Haley, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mellon, Cruella, and Hagrid. She loved each of them, but considered her all-time favorite to be the Rottweiler Mellon who had waited 14 months for her to find and rescue him (his name is from Lord of the Rings, mellon is elvish meaning friend). The horse she trained and rode most often was an Arabian mare named Desert Nafila (Noffie). A breeding with a Dutch Warmblood resulted in a handsome colt named Kaleidoscope (most often called Bart).

Her fascination with glass led her to making stained glass pieces, then to glass fusing, and even to trying glassblowing. The glass work she did reflected her interest in modern art. The kaleidoscopes she collected frequently had similar qualities. This love of art was also shown in her selection of koi for the pond at the entrance to her home.

Throughout her life, Donna was always actively involved in professional and community organizations. She took an active role in her community, organizing a Community Neighborhood Watch; this also led to her becoming an active volunteer with the Riverside Police Department. In recent years, Donna and her husband were active members of the UCCE Master Gardeners.

Donna enjoyed traveling, visiting new places and experiencing new things. Invariably within minutes of leaving for a vacation she would express how much she missed being away from her dogs; some of the road trips when the dogs could accompany her were among her favorites. Her favorite vacations were a trip in 1992 to Northern Virginia to meet the sire of Kaleidoscope (Bart) that included attending Dressage at Devon in Pennsylvania and a trip in 2015 to New York City to attend the Westminster Dog Show.

Donna passed away on February 11, 2018 at Riverside Community Hospital. Donna fought multiple drug-resistant infections as a complication of back surgery. She is survived by her spouse Dennis; her three dogs, Captain Jack, Cruella, and Hagrid; her sister Denise Hoag; her niece Richelle Rosas; and her nephews Ronald Justice and Christopher Hunt.

Services will be held at the Acheson & Graham Mortuary in Riverside on Sunday, February 25, at 1:00 pm.

Donna loved animals and always tried to help those who were less fortunate. Memorial gifts to an animal rescue or humane society are welcomed. She made donations to the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in Riverside.

Simply stated, Donna was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Donna leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Donna Jean Keats.