Great-grandmother was married 71 years, longtime dental hygienist, backpacker, traveler

Lenore (Lee) Goodale Boss died August 28.

She enjoyed a long and wonderful life.

She graduated from UC San Francisco School of Dentistry in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, and immediately began her career as a dental hygienist, a vocation she went on to practice for 45 years. She also volunteered throughout local elementary schools doing dental health talks, demonstrations and providing dental seals for those in need.

She backpacked throughout the Sierra Nevada, mostly starting from Mineral King, once doing a 150-mile trek with 20 friends and family. She enjoyed traveling throughout the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America.

She delighted in her volunteer work at the California Botanical Garden in Claremont and loved being around all the other volunteers and staff. She was a longtime member of the Claremont United Methodist Church and singing in the choir gave her much joy.

She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Herbert Boss, and children Margo, Corey, Darcy, and Matti Liukko, a foreign exchange student from Finland who lived with the family in 1972-‘73 and became a lifelong family member. She also enjoyed being a grandmother and great-grandmother.

“We find great comfort in knowing what a lasting and positive impact she had on the world,” her family shared.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in her memory to either the California Botanic Garden at https://www.calbg.org/support/tribute-gifts, or the American Diabetes Association at https://www.diabetes.org/donate.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the California Botanic Garden in Claremont.