Lorna Lee Boothroyd

August 22, 1922 - April 7, 2019

Lorna Boothroyd died on Sunday April 7 at age 96. She is survived by her daughter Ellen McCray, her sons-in-law Ray McCray and Jim Higgins, her grandchildren David McCray, Leslee McCray, Leeann Higgins, and great grandchildren Kailee and Charlie Ott. She was preceded in death by her husband David Boothroyd and her daughter Sharon Higgins. Lorna grew up in northern Wisconsin with 4 older brothers. One of her earliest memories was seeing President Coolidge and the First Lady visit a church in a rural area where her father worked. In December 1941 she moved out to California. During the move, while visiting family in Kansas, her cousin came outside to where the family was gathered and said, “the Japanese just bombed a place called Pearl Harbor.” For the rest of the trip, she and her parents were the only car going west. She graduated from Pomona college with a B.A. in education. She traveled to Lincoln Nebraska to marry David Boothroyd in 1945. After they moved to Tracy, Lorna taught kindergarten at Central School for over thirty- five years. She traveled extensively after she retired and visited every continent except Antarctica. She was a loving, calm, and supportive presence in the lives of her family. She passed on to them her love of history, travel, reading, and most of all, the memories of her kindness and compassion. The family would like to thank the staff at Astoria Gardens for the love, care, and support that they have provided for Lorna during her 11 years as a resident. Graveside services will be held at ten a.m. on Saturday April 13 at the Tracy Cemetery. Donations may be sent to Tracy Interfaith Ministries.