Frances Rae Borhek

FRANCES RAE BORHEK 2/10/1920 – 2/3/2013 Fran was a native of Tacoma. She was born at home on Sheridan St. along with her two sister, Lou and Arlene. She would meet up with her friend Mary Kay and they walked together to school each morning. There were two boys in the neighborhood, Bud Borhek and Bill Leith, Fran watched Bud build his first sail boat while she was attending and graduating from Stadium High. Her first job was working for JC Penny’s selling watches and hats. In 1940, on Oct 3, she married that neighborhood boy, Edward “Bud” Everret Borhek . Bud built her a home at Healey Palisades close to Dash Point State Park. This home was on high bank waterfront and surrounded with forest. Fran was an avid gardener all her life and put her energy into turning her yard into a show place. Bud had a boat building business on the property. Her three boys were born while she lived at the beach. The older two, Ed and Jeff, spend many hours roaming the area around the home, out of shouting distance from Fran. When the youngest son, Brian, was very small, the family moved into Tacoma to North Alder St. Fran remodeled an old three story house. She loved wall paper with stripes and many a headache developed while Bud and she tried to match up wall paper in that house. Again her yard was a show piece and she was a strong member of the Garden Club. In 1968 she moved to the Five Views Area of Tacoma, in a home her husband designed and built for her. Bud had become an architect like his father, Roland Borhek. At this time Bud was working for Woodworth Construction as an Architectural engineer. Fran finished her life journey in this home, with a garden which was a great joy to her and others. She worked in that garden through the Fall of 2012, went her cancer robbed her of the energy to dig and weed and prune. When asked about the Garden Club, her response was THEY got too old but not her! Fran and Bud were active sailors. Fran told a story of sailing the San Juan’s on a boat that had no “Head” and using a bucket for the “facility”. Before they had their own boat at the Tacoma Yacht Club, they enjoying sailing and racing with Dr. Gov Teats on his boats. They bought the Antiqua and raced in the Club’s sailing programs, they also enjoyed recreational sailing throughout Puget Sound and Canadian waters. Fran was a Shipmate at TYC and as a couple they enjoyed the social activities of the Club, attending almost every dance. When Bud retired, he designed and built the 37 foot Quo Vadis, which he was able to sail for only a year and a half before he passed away. Although she came from a family that were members of the Unity Church and raised in a Christian Science family, Fran became active at St. Luke’s Memorial Church went she moved to Five Views. She was active for many years in the Alter Guild there and faithfully attended Wednesday Prayer services. Fran had the recipes for the lunch dishes served at the antiques show held at the church and worked tirelessly on that activity. She will be interned at St Lukes where family services were held. Fran was fortunate to finish out her life in the company of that other neighborhood boy, companion Bill Leith, with whom she spent over 20 years continuing her activities at the Yacht Club and enjoying the home Bud built for her. She leaves to cherish her memories, Bill and her children: Edward, Jeffrey (Jone), Brian (Sue), her grandchildren: Brandon Bulmer (Chassie), Melissa Lester (Eddie), Brynne McWhirter (Devin) and three great grandchildren: Trenton, Bryson and Maddon. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant.