🌸 Where Her Story Began

Loretta Kaye McDonald was born on July 24, 1942, and grew up in the close-knit town of Milo, Maine, where her parents, Raymond and Helen McDonald, lived on Derby Hill. Her father, Raymond, worked as a section foreman for the local railroad, and her mother, Helen, worked at Milo General Hospital. From them, Loretta learned the values of hard work, compassion, and dedication to family.

Loretta had a younger brother, Raymond "Sonny" McDonald, whom she loved dearly. Loretta and Sonny remained very close throughout their lives. Loretta attended Milo High School and had a number of friends. She loved music, dancing to Elvis tunes, and spending summers at her family's lakeside camp. She graduated in 1960 and was accepted to the University of Colorado Boulder.

🌸 Following Her Dreams

As a beautiful young woman with courage and a spirit of adventure, Loretta and her best friend from high school drove across the country to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied to become a beautician.Drawn to learning about the world, Loretta joined the university's International Club, where she met her future husband, an Iranian student named Jamshid Najah. She and Jamie, as she affectionately called him were married on July 11, 1962.

After college, they first settled in Olympia, Washington, before briefly returning to Maine and eventually sailing across the ocean to build a life and home in Iran, where Jamie pursued his engineering career, building bridges and roads.In Iran, Loretta worked at the American Consulate in Mashhad, where she became fluent in Farsi. Her command of the language was so exceptional that she was invited to assist in translating ancient writings at the Imam Reza Shrine, a remarkable honor that reflected her intelligence and adaptability to fully embrace a whole new culture. 

🌸 Building A Family

Together, Loretta and Jamie built the family that became the center of her life.They raised four children:Fredydoon (Fred)-born in 1963.Jamshid (Jim)-born in 1964.Mona-Lisa (Sissy)-born in 1966.Siamac (Sam)-born in 1970They lived in Mashhad and later Shiraz, Iran, until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The family escaped on one of the last flights back to the United States, leaving behind the life they had built and starting over again with courage and determination.

They eventually settled in Aptos, California, where Loretta managed the construction of the family's new home.Seven years later, they moved to Los Angeles to build and operate a large wholesale office supply business called Lightning Sales, where the entire family worked together, including her beloved brother, Sonny.

As her children married, she welcomed Joe, Shireen, Connie, and Silvia with open arms, not as in-laws but as her own children. She never made distinctions between family by birth and family by choice.Everyone who entered her family felt loved, accepted, and treasured.

🌸A Legacy of Love

"Mimi" loved all seven of her grandchildren unconditionally with her entire heart: Joey, Sammy, Nadia, Aidan, Julian, Kyle, and Tabatha. Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and each of them carries a piece of her kindness, humor, and unconditional love. Mimi had boundless energy and was their biggest fan, caring for them, playing with them, and attending all their special milestones. In return, they, along with her children and beloved pets, filled her heart with endless love and joy!

If there is one word that defined Loretta's life, it's "Love." She faced extraordinary challenges, and all the while she embodied love, genuine kindness, strength, and an unwavering positive spirit. Despite surviving several bouts of cancer, she radiated love with a warm, beautiful smile while treating everyone she met with respect and compassion. She loved her family with all her heart until her final days.

She maintained her sense of adventure and fun, was always ready to travel with her family to faraway lands, was always game to attend concerts, still danced and sang to Elvis and many other great singers, and even went skydiving with her son-in-law Joe. She never lost her sense of humor; her laugh was contagious in the best way. She had a rare gift for making everyone feel important. Spending time with Loretta meant feeling welcomed, accepted, and safe, and, more often than not, leaving with many, many hugs and kisses. She was a mom not only to her own children but also to anyone who needed encouragement, guidance, or someone to listen.❤️