Margaret "Doll" Borgia

She was the youngest child and only girl born to Marcello and Jennie Schiro. As the story goes, when her three older brothers took their first look at their baby sister with her blonde hair and blue eyes they exclaimed, “She looks just like a little doll!” The name Doll stuck.

She grew up in the neighboring town of Etiwanda among the sprawling grape vineyards of the Cucamonga Valley. Her father Marcello immigrated from Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily in 1913 and he met and married her Italian American mother, Jennie. Her stories of life in the vineyards were filled with rich stories of her family culture including lots of food, friends and love.

Doll graduated Chaffey High School in 1951 and soon met Joey Borgia. After Joey served in the Air Force, the pair married in and moved to Joey’s hometown of North Hollywood, California. A country girl now in the “big city”, Doll soaked up all the exciting and new things around her while helping her new husband run his family business, Borgia’s Liquor Store on Cahuenga Blvd. near Universal Studios. Their daughter Mary was born in North Hollywood in 1963, but they soon returned to Doll’s hometown after her father’s passing. Four years later their son Joseph joined the family.

Doll relished being close to her family for the remainder of her life and she enjoyed each holiday, birthday, wedding and special occasion sharing stories of the good ol’ days. Doll was known for her quick smile, warm and welcoming greetings, ocean blue eyes and her gracious loving spirit. In saying goodbye to Doll, she was often heard to reply, “God Bless You”.

She is survived by her children Mary and Joseph of Upland, CA; granddaughter McKenna Raye Warde of North Hollywood, CA; grandsons Bryan Warde of Schenectady, NY and David Warde of San Diego, CA; and great-granddaughter Violet Warde of Schenectady, NY. Nephews and Nieces: Marcel Schiro of San Clemente, CA; Vinci Schiro of San Clemente, CA; Nat Schiro of Palm Springs, CA; Jenneen Halladay of Wildwood, MO; and Rosanna Schiro of Redlands, CA.