Estelle Virginia Boyer

1924 - 2020

Estelle Virginia (Zimbalatti) Boyer January 1, 1924 - September 13, 2020 Estelle was a shining star to all who knew her. She was born at home in West Virginia a minute into the New Year and so was named after the star of Bethlehem by her parents. Estelle was the middle daughter in a family of nine children. Until the age of 16, she loved exploring the hills, creeks, and "hollers" of the coal-mining region. Amid family laughter, warmth, faith, and the hard work of cooking and gardening, Estelle became the generous, loving, and competent person we all respected. After she moved to New York with her family, she worked at offices in the city and enjoyed her lunch breaks, trying on elegant hats and gowns on 5th Avenue. Estelle developed a classy and creative style which influenced her family and friends for the next 70 years. While in NY, she met a dashing Marine coming back from WWII. Always independent in spirit, she headed west to California to marry him. Estelle supported Mark 's studies at UCSB and Stanford Law School, bearing him four children. Though they both divorced and remarried, it was a lifelong friendship. Estelle and her first husband celebrated holidays together with their children and new spouses for the rest of their lives. Estelle was devoted to California, considering the Bay Area the most beautiful place in the world. She especially loved living in the hills of Mill Valley and among the majestic oaks of Greenbrae. Remarrying a widower, she lovingly raised and mothered his two young children, along with her own three. For "Mumsie," family was all. Estelle was a homemaker par excellence: an amazing cook, an adept seamstress, and a joyful gardener. She created an elegant home of hospitality, laughter, irreverence and fun. She was a skilled golfer and enjoyed many years as a member of three women's clubs, even making three Holes-in-One. She was adept in Chinese brush painting and took part in aerobics into her 90's. Estelle was a dynamo and a model to all for hard work, strength, and courage. She was a wise counselor and all her family and friends miss her encouraging words and attitude. She stayed informed in world affairs, had a commitment to natural health, and possessed a strong belief in her religious faith. Estelle adored dogs, dachshunds in particular, and planned her time around taking them on walks and cooking them nourishing meals. A vivacious, loving, and bright mother, wife, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, many of us knew her as Mumsie. Her generous and compassionate heart finally wore out. She passed peacefully at her home with a daughter and a granddaughter beside her. Now we may look up in the heavens and remember her in each bright star. Missing her are: her children, Mark Scott Hamilton Jr., Victoria Hamilton, Ashleigh Carlson (Jim), and Allen Boyer; grandchildren, Angela Swartz (Seth), Noah Carlson (Cara), Aislinn Kaltenbrun (Nick), and Olivia Hamilton; and great-grandchildren, Samarra, Tahlia, Hadassah, Malachi, Ezra, Eliyanah, and Guy. She was preceded in death by her children, Dion Hamilton and Candace Boyer (Herman Froeb); her husband, Gordon Boyer; and the father of her children, Mark Scott Hamilton. Her best friends still living are Regina Hamilton, Beverly Kennedy, and Jean Huckins. Two elderly Doxie gentlemen, Jonah and Toby, also miss her. Contributions in her memory may be sent to: St. Jude Research Hospital, PO Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929.