A beloved educator of 35 years in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has passed away. Mary Catherine (Kitty) Donohoe, who spent her entire 35-year career at Roosevelt Elementary School, passed after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Donohoe was a dedicated educator who made an indelible impact on her students, families, colleagues, and the entire Roosevelt community. She retired in June 2023.
Donohoe was hired by the district in September 1988 to teach 2nd grade, and was still teaching 2nd grade at the time of her retirement. She was offered, and almost accepted, a job with Culver City Unified School District, but postponed responding in hopes to receive an offer from SMMUSD. Her retirement was celebrated at a SMMUSD Board of Education meeting in June with the following words:
“Kitty creates a positive and supportive community in her classroom. She is successful at reaching each student and fostering an environment where all students are comfortable taking risks. Kitty is especially skilled at teaching writing, and her writing lessons engage students in problem-solving and critical thinking. A life-long learner, she continually challenges herself. She is also a gifted artist, who brings a wide-range of artistic talents to her classroom.”
She was also a published author, recently having created the children’s book “How to Ride a Dragonfly.” SMMUSD officials state that her passing is “a profound loss to the Roosevelt school community and SMMUSD” and that her absence “will be keenly felt by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
A memorial for Donohoe will be on Nov. 11, 2023 at 11 a.m. at St. Monica’s Church, 725 California Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403. There will be a reception following the service.
For those who would like to send a card or note to her husband, Homi Hormasji, use the following address: Homi Hormasji, 1909 Pelham Avenue Unit 106, Los Angeles CA 90025.
Submitted by Gail Pinsker