Ethel W. Boyer

1919 - 2016

Ethel W. Boyer, born in Philadelphia, PA 5/21/19 to Hilda Yerpe & Morris Wolf, died March 25, 2016. She was a graduate of Upper Darby High School (1937) and Swarthmore College (1941 with honors). At Swarthmore, she met and then in 1942, married Vincent S. Boyer; he pre deceased her in 2001. Ethel spent much of her time volunteering for organizations to support her own as well as her family’s interests. A Girl Scout leader for many years, she taught her scouts camping skills and then led one senior troop to Nassau and another to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her efficient and effective organizational skills made her a natural leader; she was National President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Auxiliary; President of the Women’s Board of Lankenau Hospital; Docent and President of the Philadelphia Zoo Docent Council and long time volunteer at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Ethel was also a longtime bridge player, participating with her husband in a duplicate bridge game with college friends; they met and played for several decades. She loved music and dance; one of her greatest joys was ballroom dancing with her husband. In spite of being an organizational woman, Ethel’s first and foremost commitment was to her family. She provided loving, competent hands to each of her daughters when their own children were born. Always a supporter of and believer in the importance of education, she and her husband made college and graduate degrees possible for their children and grandchildren. Ethel was a loving and enthusiastic supporter of all her family members; a participant in her grandchildren’s lives, she was present from the time they were born until they married and had children of their own. Undaunted by the rigors of travel, at 90 years old, Ethel attended her oldest grandson’s wedding in Arizona. We all will carry her educational tidbits, advice on organization, her zest for life and her love of family with us as we travel through our own lives. Ethel’s survivors include her sister, Ruth Page; three daughters, Ruth (Oppenheimer), Suzanne (Cashman), and Sandra (Pellegrino); son-in-law, Dan Cashman; step grandson John Oppenheimer; grandchildren Adam Cashman, Stephanie Oppenheimer Streb, Leigh Ann Oppenheimer Thomas, Rebecca Cashman, David Cashman, Matthew Pellegrino, and Katy Pellegrino; great grandchildren Jocelyn Thomas, Leila Streb, Ayla Cashman, Abel Streb, Charlie Thomas, Levi Cashman, Eliza Ficken, Pauline Ficken and Pele Cashman. Ethel’s brother, Robert Wolf, died in 1944. A celebration of Ethel’s life will be held this month. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Philadelphia Zoo.