Soontaree Erskine

Soontaree Boonyaratabhand Erskine of Eldersburg, MD passed away on November 7, 2025. She was born on April 15, 1936 in Nan, Thailand. She was born to Col. Chao and Kunya Boonyaratabhand. She had a very short illness and passed very peacefully surrounded by her daughter, Lisa, son-in-law Thom, grandson Christian, and dear friends Candy and Chris Miller.

Nannan, as her daughter called her, was born to an aristocratic family and attended The Queen's School in Thailand. She received a Bachelor's Degree in English and a second Bachelor's in History from Chulalongkorn University. She also proudly represented the university as a guard on the basketball team. On a scholarship, she attended a language university in France, and returned to Thailand to teach high school French for 15 years.

In 1973, Soontaree settled in Sacramento, CA with her daughter. She also received two Master's degrees in Educational Administration and Bilingual Cross Cultural from Sacramento State University, and holds 5 teaching credentials. She taught in Sacramento for another 30 years and made many friends and wonderful colleagues. She was loved by her students and enriched their lives.

Nannan was an adventurous world traveler, unconventional with a rebellious streak. She loved traveling with her family all over the world. She traveled throughout India, Europe, and Asia. She loved hiking in the Yosemite yearly and visiting all the great national parks. She was ahead of her time and was warm and generous to everyone. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and she will be dearly missed by her family. She leaves behind her beloved daughter, Raveepatra Lisa (Tui), dear son-in-law Thom, and most loving grandson Christian (Temmo). She also leaves behind her beloved sister, Professor Valairat Boonswasdi, dear brother Col. Saratoon Boonyarataphand, dear nieces and nephews, and dear friends Candy and Chris Miller. Her family would like to thank her extended family in Thailand and friends for their great support.