Mariana Bornholdt

MARIANA DOWDEN BORNHOLDT FEBRUARY 18, 1924- FEBRUARY 26, 2013 Mariana Dowden Bornholdt, age 89, passed away suddenly but peacefully on February 26, 2013, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was born on February 18, 1924, in Los Angeles, CA, the eldest child of Albert W. and Ruth L. Dowden of Orange, CA. She married James Pestaner in 1947 and later divorced him. In 1970 she married John Bornholdt and relocated to Central Oregon with her son Jack. In 2005 she arrived in Santa Fe to be close to Jack. Mariana lived a lifetime of education as both a teacher and a student, graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1945, and later earning a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology. In 1976 she earned a second Master's Degree in Adult Education and Gerontology from Oregon State University. She was a longtime faculty member of the California State College system. Later, she was a member of the faculties of the Advanced Teacher Training University in Accra, Ghana, and Hebei University in China. Until last month, Mariana volunteered as a Teacher's Aide in the Santa Fe Public Schools, and she continued to develop her Spanish language skills. After retiring from the Oregon State Adult and Family Services Agency in 1986, she served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa. Upon her return to Oregon, she became an advocate for older Americans in a number of roles, including Caring Friends, Mid-Valley Senior Services, the Governor's Commission on Senior Services, Long Term Care Advisory, and many others. She will be remembered by many as a selfless volunteer who brought structure and energy to many causes. Mariana was also engaged with environmental issues as an officer for the Salem Audubon Society, the Oregon Mycological Society, and the Native Plant Societies of Oregon and New Mexico. She was a longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in California, Oregon, and most recently, Santa Fe. She was active in social justice and service work. She had many interests that she approached with vigor and determination such as playing the recorder (early music), calligraphy, water color painting, sewing, swimming, tai chi, family history documentation, poetry, and bird watching. Mariana Bornholdt is survived by her son, Jack Pestaner, who resides in New Jersey and Santa Fe, and by the children of her three brothers. A memorial service will be held to celebrate her life on Sunday, March 10, 2013, at 3:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, 107 West Barcelona, Santa Fe, NM 87505. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a social justice organization of your choice. The UUCSF will also accept donations that will be applied directly to Santa Fe Public School teachers to purchase art and music supplies, or to the Santa Fe Interfaith Homeless Shelter in Mariana's memory.