Deanna Zanetta Freeman

Deanna Zanetta Freeman was born at the Orangevale, CA home of her Italian immigrant parents Antonio and Santina Zanetta on April 14, 1938. She passed away August 16, 2024 after a brief battle with cancer.

The youngest of four children, Deanna was doted on by her brother and sisters, who regarded her as “spoiled” and the “favorite” of their Father who loved to take Deanna shopping, marveling at her ability to spend every dime he gave her. Deanna attended San Juan High School in Citrus Heights where she graduated in 1956.

While working as a secretary at Aerojet General Corporation in Rancho Cordova, Deanna met and married Daniel Freeman in 1960. They promptly had four children and, in 1968, relocated to the small Delta town of Rio Vista. The family quickly became involved in numerous community and athletic activities with Deanna serving on the PTA, as room mother, Girl Scout troop leader, and swim team timer in addition to enjoying socializing with a wide group of friends in the community. While raising her children, Deanna worked part time for the River Delta Unified School District, as a clerk at the Rio Vista Courthouse and as a personal assistant to Rio Vista business owners Tom McCormack and Everett Upham.

The family moved from Rio Vista in 1981 and Dan and Deanna both resumed working for Aerojet as their children went off to college and their youngest daughter, Janine, attended Folsom High School. In 1985, Deanna’s brother Fred Zanetta built a home for them in Orangevale on the very property where Deanna was born. For a short time, Dan and Deanna moved to Corinth, MS as part of a special project contracted to Aerojet. They returned to their home in Orangevale in 1993 and Deanna began working for the Granite School District in Folsom until her retirement in 2008.

In retirement, Dan and Deanna enjoyed a wide variety of social activities with close friends they met over the years as well as with their growing family of grandchildren. They made several trips to Italy and took countless cruises. They were active parishioners at Divine Savior Church in Orangevale.

Deanna will be remembered for her big smile, good nature and infectious laugh. She enjoyed shopping, cooking and gardening. Her children fondly remember her love of doing laundry and hanging clothes on the line to dry. She was often known to wake up on a windy morning and declare, “What a great day to do laundry!”

Deanna is survived by her four children, Marilyn, David (Sally), Tony (Britt) and Janine; her nine grandchildren: Howard, Maddie, Ben (Lauren), Morganne (Ben), Lexi (Dale), Sam, Brooks, Cate and Jane; and three great grandchildren, Mason, Raylee and Henry.  She was preceded in death by her husband Dan, her brother, Fred Zanetta, and sisters Teresa Watts and Margaret Fisher.

Funeral services will be held for Deanna at Divine Savior Church in Orangevale on Wednesday, September 4 at 10:30 a.m.

Deanna’s spirit will continue to shine through her family and friends, and her legacy of love, laughter and banana cake will never be forgotten.