Norina Jean Bornholdt

Norina “Jean” Bornholdt, 70, of Grants Pass, died Friday, May 23, 2014 in Grants Pass.

A viewing will be at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 31, 2014 at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.

A service will immediately follow at 2:00 p.m.

Norina Jean was born May 11, 1944 in Santa Monica, California the oldest of two girls born to James & Bonnie Carette. Her family moved to Palm Springs, California in 1958. She lived in the Southern California desert off and on until 1969. She married Theron Ruiz in 1962 and they had a son, Peter in 1967. They divorced in 1969 at which time she & her son moved to Marin County, California. She pursued many of her talents and interests while living in the bay area. These included an interest in astrology, yoga, music and her many friendships. She also was a voracious reader and an accomplished pianist both in classical and jazz music for most of her life.

She moved to Phoenix, Oregon in 1973 and added calligraphy and organic gardening to her many talents and interests. At this time she kept dairy goats and milked and cared for them daily.

She moved to Grants Pass in 1977. She met Roy Bornholdt and they married and had a daughter, Heidi, born in 1979. They shared their love for the outdoors which included hiking and gardening. She loved the wildflowers on their property and did a study of them.

As well as being an avid homemaker, she fought for school busing in the county schools in the 1980’s and ran for school board. She had other causes she fought for as well.

She was a loving wife, mother, sister and friend and always found the good in people. She was generous with both her material goods as well as her being and spirit.

She is survived by her husband of close to 40 years, Roy Bornholdt of Grants Pass, Oregon; her son, Peter Ruiz of Palm Desert, California and daughter, Heidi Bornholdt Way of Grants Pass, Oregon; her sister, Elissa Finerman of Palm Springs, California; and her niece, Michelle Fischer of Hemet, California.

She is also survived by two biological grandsons; but also many step grandchildren that she loved like her own. She was “grandma” to all of them. This love also spread to her grand nieces, her step nieces and nephews and her step daughters.