Donnasue F. Carlson

Donnasue Frances Carlson, born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28, 1948, to Donald and Frances Carlson, passed away in San Diego on March 13, 2021, after a brief illness. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Janice, and her sister-in-law Karen (Osman) Carlson. She is survived by her three brothers Richard and Glenn of Oswego, Illinois, Stephen and his wife, Linda, of Georgetown, Texas, and many loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, and her closest and dearest friend Bob Schlesinger.

Donna lived in Mooseheart, Illinois, from the ages of four until twelve when her family moved to Oswego, Illinois. She graduated from Oswego High School in 1966 and went on to attend Illinois State University. The day after Thanksgiving, 1970, Donna took a three-day bus ride from Illinois to California and arrived in San Diego on December 1st. She loved San Diego so much it became her forever home; she was a proud and decades-long resident of Mission Hills.

Donna worked in commercial insurance her whole career. Among her employers were INA (CIGNA), Insurance Company of the West, and Argonaut, as well as other companies and agencies. While based in San Diego with CIGNA, she spent most of the 1980s as a troubleshooter and trainer in many offices around the U.S. This satisfied her love of travel and allowed her to visit most of the fifty states.

Donna was a great cook and entertainer, and her family and friends will greatly miss her holiday treats - especially her English toffee. She had a wonderful sense of humor and did not take herself too seriously, always trying to see the humor in things. Very independent and a free thinker, Donna lived life on her own terms. Her love of genealogy led Donna to become the family historian, and in tracing her family tree back to the 1500s, she discovered interesting ancestors with intriguing stories that she shared with family.

Per her wishes, Donna's remains will be buried next to her father in Hamlet Cemetery. A small graveside service will be held on Donnasue's birthday, August 28th at 1:00 PM. Donations may be made in Donna's honor to the San Diego Humane Society, Meals on Wheels, or the Salvation Army.