Dona's life began on December 22, 1935, in Weiser, Idaho, and her life adventures continued until the night of April 5, 2021, in Tucson, Arizona. Born Arlene Grace Aldred to Edna Aldred and Deward Grace, and better known as Dona Lee from an early age, Dona grew up in a loving, hard-working home with her parents and four sisters, of which Dona was the second-oldest after her sister Lola Mae. The sisters who followed were Norma, Janie, and Vicki.

Living through the Great Depression and learning from her mother and father the importance of hard work, integrity, and perseverance, Dona began working when she was a young teen, first at the town's movie theater, and by the time she was 18, she was working at the bank. She would later tell her children that, "by the time I was 18, I had pretty much worked at every job I could get in Weiser." She decided to enroll in a
vocational program that led to a job as a desk agent for Western Airlines.

Dona embarked on the next stage of her life as a young adult in Los Angeles, California. She completed her program and began working at Los Angeles International Airport, where she met her future husband, Rodolfo Chabolla. After a fun courtship of socializing and salsa dancing, the two married on December 7, 1959. Their first-born, Miguel, came into the world in March 1962, and a few months later the family moved to
Guadalajara, Jalisco, where they lived for a short time before returning to the Los Angeles area. Their second child, Elena, was born in September 1963.

The pull to return to Mexico grew stronger for the young family and in the summer of 1967, Dona and Rudy packed up what they could into their station wagon, buckled up the kids, and headed south to begin their next adventure. They settled in Jocotepec, Jalisco, a picturesque town at the foot of a mountain and at the western shores of Lake Chapala.

Dona was an attentive, loving, and kind wife and mother. She adapted to life in a small Mexican town and made lifelong friends. She learned to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and poultry at the local mercado. She learned to eat delicious Mexican food with a utensil called "tortilla." She quickly began to appreciate the intricacies of tamale-making as her mother-in-law, Micaela, made dozens of tamales from start to finish and Micaela loved more than anything watching everyone enjoy the wonderful meal.

Dona learned Spanish and watched as her two young children also became fluent enough to be able to successfully engage in war of words in Spanish with each other within six months of living in Jocotepec. She was unapologetically proud of her children and husband. Of Rudy she often said, "I don't know anyone who knows more about so many things." She was in awe of her husband's ability to retain details about a wide range of subjects and topics, and of the depth of his knowledge.

In Jocotepec, Dona perfected her pie-making skills with recipes from a cookbook she carried with her from her days in Weiser. She made coconut cream, banana cream, key lime, pecan, apple, mango, peach.... Her pies were so delicious, when she made an apple pie for the restaurant she, Rudy, and Micaela ran in Jocotepec, the pie was dropped at the door and a customer ran to it with a fork and ate it off the sidewalk. Really!

The family moved to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, in the summer of 1975. Dona and Rudy opened a sandwich shop frequented by locals and tourists alike. Dona was completely fluent in Spanish and she continued to communicate comfortably with friends in Mexico for the rest of her life and was proud to be bilingual and bicultural. It was in Puerto Vallarta that she met and cared for a then-nine-month-old who lived in poverty. The child, Claudia Martinez, was someone Dona cared for until the end of her days. Claudia, now in her mid-40s, lives in Mexico with her family.

Dona's most proud moments were witnessing the successes of her children and grandchildren. She used every opportunity to tell young people in her life that an education would always lead to a better understanding of the world, and to a better life in general. Her words and sentiments in this area inspired and motivated her children and grandchildren to always aim high, work hard, and do the right thing. She always set a wonderful example of hard work, compassion, truth, integrity, kindness, and love.

In 1978 it was time for the kids to begin college, which prompted a move back to California, where the family settled in the Los Angeles area. There, Dona quickly reintegrated into the workforce and together with Rudy supported their teenage kids through their academic efforts to include strengthening their English, completing homework, and an occasional "push" to keep going.

In 1984, employment required resettlement in Tucson, Arizona, and Dona took a job as a medical biller, which she continued until her retirement at the age of 77. She said the reason she left the job was because, "her vision was not what it used to be." Dona was a news "junkie" who thoroughly enjoyed talking politics. She was a wonderful cook and baker, though she never claimed to love doing it. Her passion was talking about current events and keeping up with the activities and goals of her kids and grandkids.

Dona's sense of fairness, compassion, perseverance, humor, and kindness are greatly missed.

She is survived by her husband, Rodolfo Chabolla, her son Miguel Chabolla and daughter Elena Chabolla, grandsons Andres and Marcos Chabolla, and granddaughters Brenna and Danae Chabolla Stauffer, sisters Lola Mae Schwartz and Vicki Sale, and many nephews and nieces.