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Mrs. Ruth Bastanchury Boeckerman, 1922-2011
Mrs. Boeckerman was the mother of Paul, ’68 and JJacquelin Boeckerman, ’69. 1951-2017.

 

Mrs. Ruth Bastanchury Boeckerman, PhD - a geologist, teacher, grandmother and friend -- passed away late Sunday evening at her home in Fullerton, where she lived with family for 50 years. was born on 04/27/1922 and died December 11, 2011.

 

The daughter of Gaston Bastanchury and Ruth Arey, Ruth grew up in Whittier under the name Ruth Baxter.

 

She graduated from Stanford University and received a PhD in Geology from the University of Michigan

 

She met her husband Jack while completing her doctoral work at the University of Michigan's Camp Davis in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jack, an engineering student, noticed her beautiful legs and asked her out. He paid for their dates with his poker winnings from the local Elks Lodge. They were married for more than 50 years and explored the world together before he died in 2004.

 

Her son, Paul (SHHS ’68), was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and her daughter, Jacquelin was born in Toledo, Ohio. Ruth and her family returned to Fullerton when their children were young, and they have lived at their home on West Valley View Drive since 1961. There, generations of her family have celebrated weddings, new babies and nearly every holiday since.

 

Ruth taught science at La Mirada High School before becoming a professor of geology at Fullerton College where she worked for 19 years. Her husband appreciated the fact that he could bring home rocks instead of gifts from his business trips. 

 

She was loved deeply by her extended family, including grandson, Russell Muir and his wife Maureen; granddaughters, Jennifer Muir and Annie Boeckerman; grandson, Jake Boeckerman; son-in-law, Chris Muir; niece Candice Barratt; great nephew Morgan Barratt; and daughter-in-law, Sandra Boeckerman. She is survived by brothers Tony (Dorothy) and Eugene Bastanchury.

 

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the McAulay & Wallace Mortuary, 902 N. Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton. Visitation begins at 10 a.m. McAulay & Wallace Mortuary

 

Published in Orange County Register on Dec. 14, 2011.

 

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