Alice Estrada's Obituary
Alice Ruth EstradaNovember 23, 1924 ' November 9, 2010 Lifelong San Mateo resident Alice Ruth Estrada, a retired laboratory technician who grew up on the grounds of the Filoli Estate, died November 9, 2010, from cardiac failure, while walking her dog in Casanova Park. She was 85. From her birth until age 14, young Alice Lowrie lived with her family in a cottage on the Woodside property, then known as the Bourne Family Estate, where her father, who was from England, worked as a butler. Her mother, who came from Scotland, assisted in the kitchen. In her retirement years, Mrs. Estrada returned to Filoli to work as a docent. Her special connection to the property captured the attention of the Bay Area Backroads television program, which featured her leading tours of the estate, sharing childhood memories. Her appearance on the show was a highlight of her life. Energetic and adventurous, Mrs. Estrada traveled solo ' with her dog of the moment as her only companion ' around the American Southwest and Canada in her camper truck. She packed a .45 automatic pistol for protection and knew how to use it if she had to. She never had to. Go, go, go Always on the go, she could pack a bag at a moment's notice and head to the Sierra with family to ski. She was a founding member of the Donner Ski Ranch, then a ski club with a group cabin at Donner Pass. Being part of its construction meant a lot to her. Mrs. Estrada jet-skied at age 70. She camped into her 80s. Red-haired and fair-skinned, outdoors she always sported a wide-brim hat. Her hiking stick, decorated with a carved face on the top, made her look like a wizard carrying a staff. Also an amateur mycologist, Mrs. Estrada was good at finding edible mushrooms but gave this interest up after a scare ' a painful stomachache. Above all she loved dogs. 'Dogs were her life,' recalled her son Steven Estrada. German Shepherds were her favorite breed, and a Shepherd named Mike was the best dog of all. Young Alice graduated from San Mateo High School, where she met her future husband, Elmer Estrada. She attended San Francisco State College and married Elmer in 1944. The couple divorced after 25 years of marriage. Itel McCullough Mrs. Estrada spent her career at Itel McCullough, rising from production worker, to laboratory assistant, to laboratory technician. She specialized in the development of laser equipment and external lighting for space shuttle expeditions. She loved her work. As a mother she taught her son to be a leader. She encouraged him to stand tall, stand straight, think straight and make his mark. She lived by this philosophy: 'You only go around once in this life . . . . Live it like you stole it, nonstop.' Like her parents before her, she was a strict disciplinarian and taught her son obedience and good manners. A hungry reader, Mrs. Estrada's home of 60 years was filled to the rafters with books, magazines and newspapers. It was a challenge to keep up, and she refused to get rid of a single page of a periodical until she'd read it ' even if it was a year old. Snake Italian style A great cook, her sense of adventure extended to the kitchen. Once, she even cooked up rattlesnake young Steve brought home. Mrs. Estrada got out a recipe for chicken cacciatore, substituting the fowl for reptile. It worked. Other cooking experiments included beef brains and chicken feet. Delicious, her son recalled. One thing you could count on her saying at the table was, 'Slow down! You eat too fast! Enjoy your food!' Another critical culinary fact: she liked her bacon crispy and made such an issue of it that her tombstone could read: 'Here lies a woman who liked her bacon crispy!' Mrs. Estrada wished to be remembered as a free spirit concerned for nature and animals. Survivors She was predeceased by her brother, James Lowrie, Jr.; sister, Nancy Lowrie; and her daughter-in-law, Jean Marie Russell Estrada. Mrs. Estrada is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Linda Joyce Estrada of San Mateo; grandchildren, Michael Estrada; and Lisa Ann Estrada; and by her great-grandchildren, Haley Daza; and Cayden Daza.
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