John Borneman

John Borneman

Born in Elkhart Indiana on February 6, 1930, John Borneman passed away on May 9, 2020 at the age of 90. He was known to be a man who loved his community. Even as he approached his ninetieth year, John Borneman could be found walking the Ventura Pier and his beloved hills on the Ventura Botanical Garden trails. His face showed his love of the environment as he walked, always wearing his binoculars, carrying his walking stick, and a wide brim hat to protect from the sun. It was his delight to greet friends, always with an encouraging word, a reminder that the day was beautiful, and perhaps a joke or two.

After receiving his BA in Music from Indiana University, John spent his summers doing Summer Stock Theater, served in army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then sang with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians for several years, touring the United States, and performing regularly in Las Vegas. A gifted tenor and performer, John moved to California and became a founding member of the original barbershop quartet, The Dapper Dans of Disneyland. While in this quartet he had the joy meeting and working with Walt Disney in the early days of Disneyland, and of entertaining families with his wonderful music.

John married Linda Scardigli Borneman on March 18, 1961, and together they had two children: Robert of Ventura, and Kathryn (who passed away in 2010), and a step-daughter, Merry Kindred of Portland Oregon.

With a deep love of the environment, he began doing volunteer work with the Audubon Society. This soon became his full-time career as a Condor Specialist with the Audubon Society.

While working with the Audubon Society, John played a vital role in the project to save the great California Condor, frequently trekking miles into the Ventura County backcountry to study their habitat and help make the decisions necessary to protect this endangered species. When he was not in the field, John regularly presented educational programs to Ventura County school children, always bringing along his nine-foot California Condor named Gertrude. Entirely made of felt, Gertrude's wingspan filled a classroom and always brought gasps of amazement from the children.

After his retirement from the Audubon Society, John worked as a tour guide and naturalist, traveling the world from Finland to the Galapagos, and specializing in the Pacific Northwest and the travels of Lewis and Clark. John's love of nature and his understanding of it was contagious and impacted all those who had the joy of touring with him.

Following the death of his wife Linda Borneman, John's decades' long friendship with Linda O'Neill renewed and grew and they became partners, sharing an avid love of birding and travel as for the last eleven years of his life.

John was a beloved member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Ventura, where he sang in the choir and regularly worked in their soup kitchen. He was known and loved for his wonderful sense of humor, his great gifts as a storyteller, his sense of mediation and encouragement, and his undying love of the environment.

He is survived by his son Robert Borneman of Ventura, his step-daughter Merry Kindred of Portland, Oregon, and his partner and friend Linda O'Neill of Foster Park.

Those wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so by contacting the Ventura Botanical Garden, on line at https://www.venturabotanicalgardens.com/donate.html or by a check in his honor sent to the Ventura Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 3127, Ventura CA 93006-3127.