July 6, 1920 – December 4, 2023.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Boardman Ross passed away peacefully on December 4, 2023, 103 years since she was born in San Francisco on July 6, 1920. Her life was filled with curiosity, exploration and generosity.
Her childhood was spent in San Francisco. She attended and graduated from Katherine Delmar Burke School. After high school she went to Stanford University where she was in the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. She graduated in Education in 1942 and then attended Columbia Teachers College in New York.
After one semester, she married Donald Ferrier Ross on Jan. 16, 1943. Donald was in the Navy awaiting orders. Son Donald Jr. and daughter Lauren were born in San Francisco while Donald was overseas. When Donald returned, they all moved to Menlo Park where Katherine was born. Thirteen years later they moved to Atherton.
In 1961, Elizabeth and Donald invested in the building of Alpine Meadows ski area. Elizabeth spent most Summers up there, usually her birthday, and many family Christmases. She loved it so much there.
Throughout her life she enjoyed learning, from reading the newspapers, going to museums, attending the theater, and touring gardens. Notably, she traveled to all seven continents, hiked in Antarctica in her 70s, went to the Galapagos Islands, and continued to explore the world well into her 90s.
Stanford was always her love. She organized her class reunions, went on educational trips, and took alumni classes.
Elizabeth was very active in all kinds of volunteer work. Some of the organizations that benefited from her dedication include the SF Opera and Symphony, Woodside Atherton Garden Club, Family Service Agency, and SF Junior League. As an advocate for the environment, she was one of the first members of Save the Bay.
Besides skiing until her mid-70s, Elizabeth was an avid hiker. She also organized family trips throughout the years that allowed our spread-out members to spend quality time together. Elizabeth loved a good party and hosted too many to count, including many fundraising affairs. This instilled in us the value of supporting philanthropic endeavors. And of course, she appreciated a good drink.
We called her Grandmommy. She was a huge supporter of her family’s education, which has been a continuing gift and provided invaluable opportunities.
She was preceded in death by her brother Whit and her husband Donald. She is survived by her three children, Donald, Lauren, and KC, five grandchildren Gretchen, Stefan, Bodhi, Elizabeth, and Annie, and five great-grandchildren: Sahara, Zachary, Eden, Violet and Hadley.
A celebration of her life took place on Mother’s Day at the Boardman Grove in Big Basin State Park. Donations may be made to the Sempervirens Fund at Sempervirens.org.