Mirna was born at home in Soledad, CA. Later, she and her family moved to King City where her parents owned and operated King City Lumber and Dionne Construction Co. She graduated from King City High School in 1960.
She relocated with her family to Santa Rosa in 1968. While raising her sons, Mirna and her sister Lavella ran their own custom sewing company, LaMir. Mirna worked for State Fund for 30 years, where she was a dedicated and cheerful presence before her retirement in 2005. While working and raising her family, Mirna earned an AA degree from Santa Rosa Junior College. She continued to sew with Lavella, making hundreds of hanging bags for wheelchair users and turbans for chemotherapy patients. With the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild, she helped sew thousands of quilts for foster children, veterans, ICU babies, and adults with developmental needs. She also volunteered for the Human Race and the Volunteer Center.
Mirna conquered five kinds of cancer and was facing down Alzheimer’s at the time of her death. She took great pride that she lived on the same street as her sister, her niece, and her parents and that she had lunch every day with Lavella for 50 years. She will be remembered for the joy she took in her extended family, her generous spirit, her tenacity in the face of health challenges, and her readiness for an adventure with friends and family.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Lottie Perkins Dionne and her father, Adelor (Buddy) Dionne. Survived by her sons David (Lisa) and Michael (Susan), grandson Remi, beloved sister Lavella Cassinelli (Charles), devoted niece Karen, and numerous other nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A celebration of her life will be held the weekend of Aug. 18th. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
