Frances Borda

Obituary of Frances Magaret Borda

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Frances Margaret Borda,77

Frances Margaret Borda, January 2, 1948 passed away peacefully Saturday January 25, 2025. Fran is survived by her children Victor & Angela Borda, her siblings John (Deanna) Borda, Lorrie (Bill) Schmuhl, Janice Borda, Jean (Rich) Masella, predeceased by Joan (Mark) Osinski and Paul Borda. A special thank you to Alison Hwang for all the care and compassion shown to Fran especially over the last four months. Your friendship was invaluable to Fran, family & friends. Fran attended School of Holy Child in Suffern NY then spent 2 years at Trinity College in Washington before going to Oxford University for her 3rd year. Fran was described by her friends as “an energizing force, she was admired for her fierce independence, wit, insight and engagement with the world.” The lifelong friends that she made remember their school days “ with great joy and have warm memories of her always.”

Fran later earned a degree in Software Engineering at the University of Santa Cruz. She was proud of her accomplishments as one of the early generation of female software engineers. She recalled her children having to use “those big green and white striped stacks of computer paper - with the perforated edges and holes on the sides” as pillows, while she worked long nights in the computer lab. The long nights eventually led to the joint-development of a software application that was widely used across Wall Street.

Fran was a devoted animal lover and proud pet-parent of horses, dogs and cats. Her love of her fur babies was reflected back to her in their devotion and loyalty. Fran donated generously to a wildlife refuge in California. Fran was an avid gardener and her love of flowers led her to create a stunning garden with over 500 species of plants and rare trees on her Pebble Beach property. It was registered with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Fran was interviewed for an article published in the Monterey Herald September 2018 highlighting her garden. It was a labour of love which she dedicated in memory of her mother Frances Borda. Fran was a long-time devotee of Neem Karoli Baba affectionately called Maharaji. Last spring she travelled to India and spent 6 months in Nainital, fulfilling her dream to live near and visit the ashram. 

Fran had asked that any donations be made to Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, Taos, New Mexico for perennial flowering shrubs to be planted in the Sri Siddhi Ma’s Memorial Garden. https://nkbashram.org/ashram-wish-list

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