Ramona Marie Consentino
OBITUARY
Always with a positive manner and welcoming smile. A kind, serene, loving spirit with a small but hopeful, grounded presence that drew people toward her with the gentle gravity of her caring, open heart.
Born to Maria Ignacia Cesena Riveroll and Arthur Riveroll, Mona arrived on November 16, 1939, in San Diego, California. She spent her early years attending grade school in Tijuana, Mexico under the care of her aunt, Guadalupe Rangel. She would go on to graduate from San Diego High School in 1958 and shortly after begin working for Pacific Telephone as a typist. That same year she married Jack Consentino and soon after had her first child, Connie. Her second child, Robert, would arrive a few years later. The young family would enjoy these early years with a close group of friends, with weekly parties, picnics, and beach outings all over San Diego and summer visits to a family camp in Rosarito, Mexico. Food, music and dancing were at the center of it all. Mona and Jack would also become dedicated bowlers and spent years participating in league competition.
During the 1970’s she was an early adopter of the environmentally friendly practice of household waste recycling. She acknowledged the advances in nutritional science by adopting a low-fat diet that, much to her family’s dismay, included drinking non-fat milk. And in support of the farm workers’ labor movement, she boycotted the buying of grapes.
Mona retired from the phone company after 30 years as a manager of The Learning Center’s clerical staff. As she was never one to indulge in idle time, she then enjoyed working as a retail associate at Macy’s Department Store and later Walmart.
Always one concerned with the well-being of others, she volunteered as an elder caregiver, as a teacher’s aide at her great grandchildren’s elementary school, and assisted seniors preparing their income tax forms. A highlight for her was donating her time to the San Diego Zoo where, for five years, she helped visitors navigate and explore the park. She was also a lifetime member and volunteer of The House of Mexico, part of The International Cottages in Balboa Park.
Encouraging her family to explore and engage in the world at large, Ramona escorted her family to museums, science exhibitions and theatrical productions. She especially encouraged participation in the performing arts and supported the study of music, dance and acting.
In the later part of her life, she enjoyed exploring good times on cruise ships with friends and family, bingo tournaments, and visiting the local casinos where she entertained herself with modest, low-stakes play on her favorite slot machines.
Preceded in death by husband Jack, sisters Patricia and Sandra, Mona leaves behind her sisters Bernice and JoAnn, daughter Connie, son Robert and his wife Michele, her grandchildren Alexa, Arthur Jr, Frank (Cisco), Theresita, Melanie, and seventeen great grandchildren and nineteen great great grandchildren.
Ramona lived for the care and comfort of her family, to serve others in need, and to enjoy the good times with her family, extended family, and friends. She was committed to bringing out the best in others and, by example, encouraged all around her to do the same. She leaves behind a legacy of nonjudgmental, humble generosity that will be felt for generations to come. She will be missed with deep sadness, sweet memories, and deep, profound gratitude.
Funeral Services will be held Thursday, September 24, 4-8pm (Viewing) and Friday, September 25, 10am-12pm (Burial) at Greenwood Memorial Park, 4300 Imperial Ave, San Diego. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mona’s name to Chula Vista Animal Services (www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/animals-care) or The House of Mexico (www.houseofmexico.net)
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