Anitra Bascom

1948 - 2021

Anitra Bascom was born in Oakland, California on July 13,1948 and lost her battle with Alzheimer's disease on September 11, 2021. Anitra was the daughter of Willard Newell Bascom and Rhoda Marie Nergaard. Her parents met in Astoria, Oregon in 1945 during her father's pioneering oceanographic activities for Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the U.S. government. Her unusual name Anitra originated from Edvard Grieg's musical score 'Anitra's Dance'. What follows is how she danced through life and kicked out of her last wave.

Her earliest years were spent in Pacific Grove, California just a few blocks from Cannery Row. Her parents' friends included Edward 'Doc' Ricketts and John Steinbeck. The family could not rest from travel and moved south to build a home at La Jolla Shores in 1952, just a short walk to Scripps. Most importantly, it was the beach that would play a big part in Anitra's later life.

In 1954 things changed again when her father was diagnosed with cancer and given 6 months to live. He took a job with the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. to better provide for his family in case of his death. Fortunately for Willard and the family, he outlived the doctors who diagnosed him. His long career as an adventurer, engineer, scientist, writer, photographer, painter, miner, cinematographer and archeologist greatly influenced Anitra's life.

The next episode was tropical and unfolded in Tahiti. When Anitra was eight years old the family crossed the Pacific on the freighter 'Waitemata' and embraced an idyllic Polynesian life for a year. Neither their traditional Tahitian home of palm fronds, nor the Tahitian dances, ever required shoes. In early 1957, Tahiti was considered remote before scheduled air travel. When ships came in, Anitra and the other local kids would run down to the docks and jump in the warm tropical waters. It was tradition for passengers to toss coins to the kids swimming. Needless to say, Anitra, with her dark Tahitian tan and long blond hair, attracted both attention and coins.

That 'good life' changed when the family shipped out across the waves and made their way back to a snowy Washington D.C. They settled in Bethesda, Maryland and Anitra's adventures continued. They traveled extensively, including to Russia, India, Turkey, Iran, England and Vietnam during the myriad of her father's scientific and consulting expeditions. Her father interacted with Henry Kissinger, Nelson Rockefeller, Edward Teller, Roger Revelle and many others. Through these adventures Anitra developed a strong sense of self, a life-long passion for travel and an appreciation for other cultures.

Anitra attended Westbrook Elementary, Western Junior High School and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, graduating in 1966. After high school her father moved the family back to California and established a marine salvage and refitting company in Long Beach, California. Anitra attended La Verne College for 2 years and Long Beach State, earned a nursing degree and later a Masters in Public Administration. She married Rodney Wirtz in 1972, they settled in Carroll Park, Long Beach California. Anitra's next big adventure was the births of their two children, Rodney and Sarah.

Anitra's registered nurse (RN) career began when her two children went off to school. Initially she served as a floor RN, then school nurse, and immersed herself into the complexities of a teen counselor RN. But teens were not enough, Anitra plunged head-first into turbulent positions of epidemiologist and woman's substance abuse counselor at the Orange County Jail.

Anitra's marriage lasted 20 years, after which she moved to Los Alamitos with her two teen-aged children. Anitra continued to travel with her children including trips through Europe and extending to Turkey.

Anitra had many interests including pre-historic art and culture in the U.S., Mexico, and France. Petroglyphs and pictographs delighted her. She collected Native American baskets, rugs and ceremonial items. Anitra combined her enthusiasm for the indigenous and travel when she offered to 'help out' a close friend relocating from coast to coast - provided they could stop at a 'few' Native American sites along the way. Her friend Jamie soon realized Anitra was a gifted map reader, re-routing them on and off the interstate and on backroads - in a 28 ft. moving truck. A hilarious adventure, visiting almost 50 sites along the way!

She had great rhythm attributed to learning the fast paced Tahitian dance during her time in Tahiti. She started 'Contra' dancing (early folk dance) while living in L.A. and continued in San Diego. Games prevailed, especially at family gatherings. She was a master of the word game Bogel, Backgammon, Mexican Train Dominos, and Pictionary.

Anitra's mother, Rhoda, died from cancer in 1988. In the late 1990s her father, Willard, moved back to the family house across the street from Kellogg Park in La Jolla. Anitra seized the moment and became passionate about surfing. She had longed to surf since her teens but the opportunity had eluded her. With a new board, she trekked down to Dad's house in La Jolla and attempted to learn - not an easy task at age 50 - but she prevailed with her steely determination.

Unfortunately, in June of 2000 her father was in an auto accident and succumbed from complications three months later. Anitra moved from Orange County, shifted her work to the San Diego County Health and Human Services AIDS Waver Program and finally to California Children's Services. Her new co-workers wondered why her hair was always wet coming to work. She would shyly tell them she just got out of the water surfing! Her passion for surfing and newly found community of regulars at La Jolla Shores helped her to overcome the loss of her parents. She was easily welcomed since few could resist her smile and sweet demeanor. She had come full circle back to the ocean, La Jolla and into the house she longed for since kindergarten.

Around 2003 she met another surfer, Patrick. It was apparent to others, but not Anitra, that Patrick was very interested in the woman with the incredible smile. First they were surf buddies, then friends and finally significant others. For almost two decades they focused on life, family, friends, travel, and surfing. Patrick was from Coronado and Anitra was welcomed into that community too, even taking part in the Coronado Surf Club's entry in the Coronado 4th of July parade - receiving 1st prize in their category. They made trips together to Europe, surf trips to Portugal, mainland Mexico and Baja, Nicaragua, and many to Costa Rica to surf her favorite wave 'Boca Barranca'.

Her home was known as the 'Stingray Clinic'. Many surfers had early sessions and lifeguards did not start duty until around 8:30 am. If someone was stung by a stingray, they were welcome, you did not have to know her to get help. The victims would be directed to Anitra's house where she developed a great system. In small increments, very hot water from an electric teapot would be added to a bucket of warm water to achieve an elevated temperature. When it cooled some, the 'victim' could self administer more hot water to increase the temperature. A comfortable webbed patio chair was perfect for wet-suited surfers to sit on as it was imperative to soak the wound in hot water ASAP to counteract the enzyme that coated the stingray's barb. After an hour or so of soaking most were back in the surf the next day.

When on land, Anitra hosted many English language students from all over the world and loved the interaction and exchange with them. Upon retiring from healthcare in 2007 she volunteered at the San Diego Zoo and crafted interesting food containers to keep the animals engaged at feeding time.

She was an excellent cook and always sensitive to those who did not have a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. For decades she went out of her way and enticed guests with recipes from her mother's Norwegian heritage and from her peripatetic life. The biggest family gathering of the year took several days preparation with many pies and side dishes accompanying the turkey. Games always followed the great dinners.
Many friends and family celebrated her life with a paddle-out of sixty-plus surfers and get together at La Jolla Shores October 30, 2021. All will miss her gentle, friendly and caring personality.

Anitra is survived by her son Rodney Wirtz (Maya), grandchildren Madelyn and Nico of Los Angeles, daughter Sarah Christian (Roney) of Brea, grandson Austin Arvizo, USMC Camp Pendleton, and Patrick Mower her longtime partner of Coronado.