Danita Rose Dionne-Nunez

(August 31, 1966  -  July 15, 2022)

Beloved wife and mother Danita Rose Dionne-Nunez, age 55, passed away on 15 July 2022, in San Antonio, Texas after fighting a courageous battle with breast cancer. Danita was the youngest of eight children born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on 31 August 1966 to Raymond and Olive Dionne. With most of her older siblings long since moved out of the house, Danita was a quiet child who found contentment and wonder in reading and could often be found with her “nose in a book”. After graduating from Marion High School, an all-girls Catholic academy in Regina, Danita channeled her passions for learning and literature into earning her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Regina. She taught in Canada for several years before meeting Carlos Nunez in 1993, an American service member from Texas stationed in North Dakota.  Danita married Carlos one year later in January 1994 and together they moved to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to begin their beautiful adventure together. While also working for the campus English department, Danita completed her master's degree in Education from Oklahoma City University in December of 1997 and gave birth to her firstborn daughter Olivia one month later in January 1998. In the latter half of 1998, Carlos, Danita, and six-month old Olivia moved to San Antonio, Texas where Danita taught English as a Second Language evening classes to students from all over the world. Though Danita loved teaching, she eventually decided to stay home full-time with Olivia and the happy pair spent countless afternoons in various museums and parks around San Antonio.  In 2006, Danita and Carlos celebrated the completion of their family with the arrival of their second child, Raya while stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington State. With an eight-year-old and six-month-old in tow, Danita and Carlos embarked on the adventure of a lifetime by moving to Moron Air Force Base, Spain. After settling into the nearby small town of Utera, Andulucia, Danita and her family traveled throughout Europe and even visited Africa. Having always been interested in genealogy and particularly invested in her father’s French ancestry, Danita felt especially connected to Paris and swore that she could feel the familial connection to the cathedral of Notre Dame, a fact that would later be confirmed when she retraced her family lineage back to 1641 France. After their adventures abroad, Danita and her family settled into her beloved beach town of Panama City Beach, Florida for ten years before her final move back to San Antonio, Texas in 2018. The family was once again united for just over two and a half years after Olivia moved back home following her university graduation and ended up staying with the family through the COVID-19 pandemic and Danita’s 2021 diagnosis of breast cancer. During those quiet years and even through the duration of her illness, Danita continued to make precious memories with her family that Carlos, Olivia, and Raya will treasure forever. Danita was a bright, beautiful, and loving soul who cared deeply for others. She was hilarious and heartfelt laughter followed her wherever she went. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by her husband Carlos, her twenty-four-year-old daughter Olivia, and sixteen-year-old daughter Raya, who will continue to honor her legacy by seeing the humor in life and doing everything with love, the way that Danita always did.

She was preceded in death by parents Raymond and Olive (O’Hara) Dionne; an infant brother, Richard; brother, Brian Dionne; brothers-in-law, Ken Braun and James Schmidtz; and nephew-in-law Chris Facca. Danita is survived by her husband, Carlos; her two children, Olivia and Raya; siblings Gary (Marge), Marita (Dave), Cheryl, Stephen (Fay), and Cathy; and many nieces and nephews that she deeply adored.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.  To view a live stream of the service, please click here.