Raia Doria

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Ralph and Arline (Duffy) Whitehead, survivors include: her spouse, Avri Doria of Providence; her daughter, Jess Farrell of Providence; her son Seth Doria and his wife Kelly of St. Louis; two grandchildren, Abby Doria of Milwaukee and Adam Doria of St. Louis; two sisters, Susan and Marcia Whitehead; one brother, Bill Whitehead and his wife, Deb; one nephew, Alex Whitehead, and several cousins.

Fiercely independent, Raia was brilliant, an adventurer and a wanderer. She was one of only a couple women to take, and the only to finish, a calculus course in her freshman year at Carnegie Mellon, and her excellent LSAT score earned her admission into the prestigious University of Chicago Law School. She volunteered creating sets at Trinity Repertory, worked as an electrician off-Broadway, was in networking before the Internet, and designed furniture on a kibbutz.

After returning to the U.S. from Israel in 1988, Raia was a devoted stay-at-home mother and homemaker. She was also a loving sister and daughter, and the most loyal of friends to those of us lucky enough to have the privilege. She was fearless and willing to challenge anyone who made claims with which she disagreed, and was an ardent Zionist to the end.

In her youth Raia was an athlete, playing softball and riding horses. As a young woman she remained active—coaching her son’s cross-country skiing group, and hiking Masada among many highlights. It was only her chronic health conditions that forced her into inactivity. Later in life, her main joys, other than her people, were her books, which she read avidly, Boston sports, and her pets, for whom she cared until her last day. Her pets, including George, who is her last beloved cat, gave her great comfort and companionship through hard times.

Growing up a military brat had taught Raia to be adaptable. She was always open to challenges and new experiences, whether it was college or work in a strange city, living on a kibbutz, or undertaking the care and maintenance of a peculiar old house. She bore her pain with grace and courage, remaining kind and keeping her sharp sense of humor through it all. And though her experiences may have been cut short by her illness, her legacy continues to live in all who had the joy of learning at her side.

Funeral and burial were private.

Memorial contributions in Raia’s honor may be made to the Providence Animal Rescue League, 34 Elbow St, Providence, RI 02903 or at https://www.parl.org/ Please enter [email protected] for the family to be notified.