“Homer was such an asset to our board. He had such a gentle demeanor and was such an extraordinary listener. You knew he commanded everyone’s respect because when he spoke at a meeting you couldn’t hear a pin drop. On a personal note, when I was struggling with back pain, he took the time to give me some rehab exercises, that I do daily — extremely helpful. He genuinely cared about everyone that crossed his path — absolutely a “glass half full” kind of guy. He is missed.”
— ISI District 16/17 Director Cindy Solberg
“Homer was a true gentleman and a mentor to many of us in the ice sports industry. His wisdom and dedication to the sport of figure skating and the ice sports industry will be missed.”
— ISI District 2 Director Robyn Bentley
DONNARAE (BARRY) TULSKY Nov. 6, 1954 - Oct. 19, 2019
Donnarae Tulsky was born on Nov. 6, 1954, in Blooming- ton, Minn., and passed away on Oct. 19 following a coura- geous battle with cancer.
ISI District 13/14 hosted a celebration of life in honor of Donnarae on Nov. 23. Many
of her former skaters — some with their parents and others, with their children — attended to share wonderful stories about their beloved skating coach.
“She taught me so much that lives with me to this day — how to work hard; how to love what you do even when it is difficult; to get up when you fall; to love the competition and to be a gracious competi- tor; the importance of strategy … just to name a few. I don’t know if she ever knew how important those lessons would be decades later,” said former student Joanne Madlung.
Donnarae’s legacy will forever be present in ISI District 13/14. She always said, “Skating is hard; just do your best.” In remembrance of Donnarae, the district has commissioned “The Donnarae Tulsky Memorial Trophy” to be given annually to the skater who does their best.
Donnarae began skating at the age of 6 with her father and was recognized by a coach who said she had talent and wanted to coach her. She began taking lessons with Robyn Lee and competed in the Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA), now known as the Ice Sports Industry (ISI), from the ages of 10 to 19 before joining the Ice Follies in 1974.
She left the show in 1979 and began coaching with Candy Goodson at the Sunvalley Shopping Center (mall) in Concord, Calif. Together, they created one of ISI’s iconic teams, The Sunvalley Precision Team.
In 1989, Donnarae began coaching at the famed Berkeley Iceland until the opening of the new San Jose Ice Rink in 1992. She was named the skating director of Vacaville Ice Sports in Vacaville, Calif. in 1999. She led the charge there for an amazing 20 years and had one of the state’s largest ISI partici- pating facilities.
Over the years, Donnarae was awarded with distinct honors such as the ISI District 14 Merit Award and the 2018 ISI Erika Amundsen Award, which is presented to an individual who is a tireless ambassa- dor of ISI and has had a significant and lasting impact on the popularity of ISI programs and activities.
She was proud to be an ISI Gold level judge and referee at many local and national championships. Her dedication to skating and the promotion of ISI’s motto of “Inclusion, not Exclusion” has been monu- mental in so many skaters’ lives.
“What do you do when the matriarch of your ice rink passes away?” asked Christopher Kinser, the new skating director of Vacaville Ice Sports. Chris noted that it takes a very special person to work until they can no longer stand and how amazing it was to work for a woman who was so selfless and thought of her staff and the continued success of the arena.
Donnarae is survived by her amazing husband, Matt, whom she married in 1985, and her children, Michael and Tyler, and daughter-in-law Christine Murada.
Written by ISI District 13/14 Director Paige Scott
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SPRING 2020
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