Zondra Lee Schmidt

Zondra is survived by her children Paul (Shelly) Torres II, Stacey Navarro, and Cleve Reed, and her grandchildren Paul III (Annie), Tyler, Paul Carlos, and Stephanie. She was the proud great-grandmother of Marina, Waylon, Paisley, James, and Seamus. Zondra fulfilled her role as a mother while reaching for her dreams whose effects, she knew, would trickle down to her children and her children’s children. She showed her love in unique ways, and her time and expertise were some of the greatest gifts that she bestowed.

Zondra was born in Los Angeles, CA, on March 13, 1939, the daughter of Russian immigrants, Morris Most and Aida Vivian Fink. Talented and determined since childhood, Zondra saw the world in terms of possibilities. Growing up in the more notorious days of downtown San Diego, she parlayed serving as a contract waitress (where she was known for her legs) to owning three clothing stores.

Zondra proved to be a keen business woman. By the 1970s, she was helping to incorporate the historic Gaslamp district as one of its key originators. She owned eight hotels in downtown San Diego, including the Onyx Hotel, recognized as one of the historic buildings of the Gaslamp Quarter. Capitalizing on every opportunity and investment before her, Zondra would go on to own numerous buildings, boats, homes, and even once, a bus. In her free time, Zondra was an avid fashionista and traveler as well as a food and drink connoisseur.

Zondra was known for her tenacity leading to a life that is nearly impossible to summarize. She was a renaissance woman who was intermittingly an artist, captain, designer, author, chef, inventor, seamstress, and handyman. In 1962, she showcased her handmade art at the Southern California Exposition in the woodcraft and tile categories, placing first and second respectively. Prototypes of her photo tapestry, the U-View, hang in her family’s homes while her book, Adventures in Cooking Avocados, is still available on Amazon. Very recently, Zondra received permission to serve as her own general contractor.

Despite her many activities and successes, Zondra was not one to rest on her laurels. She perpetually sought the next project or investment, and did so with a vibrancy and clout that was incomparable. Zondra is perhaps summarized best by Frank Sinatra in one of her favorite songs, “I’ve lived a life that’s full. I’ve traveled each and every highway. But more, much more than this, I did it my way.”

Condolences may be sent to the family via email at zmemorial17@gmail.com or via this website.