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MATILDA TILDIE MACNAUGHTON August 6, 1940 - August 19, 2014 Matilda "Tildie" MacNaughton, the daughter of Boyd and Roberta MacNaughton, was born and grew up on Oahu, Hawaii with siblings Trudie, Boyd Jr., Duncan, and Robin. She was a member of the Outrigger Club, crewed on the barkentine The California, and sometimes beat her brothers in tennis. She graduated from Punahou School in 1958. After attending Connecticut College, she received a masters degree at Teachers College of Columbia University in 1964. In the 1970's Tildie took a Sierra Club mountaineering class and began her lifelong backpack adventures. She organized the Ridge Runners, a group of exuberant teachers who hiked mountains in Colorado, where she initially worked as a kindergarten teacher. After her move to California, Tildie helped start the Renaissance Gang, a hiking group who explored Tahoe, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park in flamingo-logo-ed attire, and whose unofficial motto seemed to be "Hike, talk, party, hike, talk, and have a hell of a good time!" as one member put it. Tildie loved to take photos and sketch vistas during these trips. Tildie taught kindergarten and first grade in the Mountain View district for 30 years, and was what one teacher described as "the most competent teacher of young children I have ever known." The kids may not have understood the importance of the transitional program that she created for the youngest among them, nor grasped her forward thinking when she introduced computers to her school in the late 80's, but they will remember her for her shared delight of crafts, like card making, watercolor painting, and collage. She will be remembered by all of us for her dry wit, often displayed by a sudden zinger in an otherwise staid conversation, and her love of her two dogs, Pooh and Bo Jangles, as well as her boundless curiosity. "If Tildie saw something interesting it wasn't enough to appreciate it, she had to explore in depth and make it her own!" says a close friend. Tildie took up bird watching, weaving, felting and even gourd art, but her real interest lay in drawing and painting. Tildie also had a special love for Native American music; she took classes and even joined drumming and flute circles. It's no surprise that Tildie inspired art, creativity, and a maybe even a tiny bit of defiance in many of her nieces and nephews. Over the years Tildie's close knit circle of friends became her extended family in California, and many joined her when she travelled to far flung places like Kenya, Peru, Chile, much of Europe, and the Galapagos Islands. When Tildie's Parkinson's disease began to advance significantly and she could no longer travel or hike, she stayed connected to her friends by organizing art projects and other festivities. She was an unapologetic fan of John Denver, whose songs were played constantly in her final days. We especially hope she heard her favorite, Leaving on a Jet Plane, and was not too chagrined when we sang along. During her last week she was surrounded by family and friends, including Lynn Regaldo, her beloved caregiver of the past three years. We will miss you, Tildie; we wish you didn't have to go. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: Dr. Michael Aminoff, Parkinson's Disease Clinic and Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Room 798-M, Box 0114, San Francisco, CA 94143-0114, or Manoa Heritage Center, 2859 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, or Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120th Street, New York, New York 10027-6696.
MATILDA TILDIE MACNAUGHTON August 6, 1940 - August 19, 2014 Matilda "Tildie" MacNaughton, the daughter of Boyd and Roberta MacNaughton, was born and grew up on Oahu, Hawaii with siblings Trudie, Boyd Jr., Duncan, and Robin. She was a member of the Outrigger Club, crewed on the barkentine The California, and sometimes beat her brothers in tennis. She graduated from Punahou School in 1958. After attending Connecticut College, she received a masters degree at Teachers College of Columbia University in 1964. In the 1970's Tildie took a Sierra Club mountaineering class and began her lifelong backpack adventures. She organized the Ridge Runners, a group of exuberant teachers who hiked mountains in Colorado, where she initially worked as a kindergarten teacher. After her move to California, Tildie helped start the Renaissance Gang, a hiking group who explored Tahoe, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park in flamingo-logo-ed attire, and whose unofficial motto seemed to be "Hike, talk, party, hike, talk, and have a hell of a good time!" as one member put it. Tildie loved to take photos and sketch vistas during these trips. Tildie taught kindergarten and first grade in the Mountain View district for 30 years, and was what one teacher described as "the most competent teacher of young children I have ever known." The kids may not have understood the importance of the transitional program that she created for the youngest among them, nor grasped her forward thinking when she introduced computers to her school in the late 80's, but they will remember her for her shared delight of crafts, like card making, watercolor painting, and collage. She will be remembered by all of us for her dry wit, often displayed by a sudden zinger in an otherwise staid conversation, and her love of her two dogs, Pooh and Bo Jangles, as well as her boundless curiosity. "If Tildie saw something interesting it wasn't enough to appreciate it, she had to explore in depth and make it her own!" says a close friend. Tildie took up bird watching, weaving, felting and even gourd art, but her real interest lay in drawing and painting. Tildie also had a special love for Native American music; she took classes and even joined drumming and flute circles. It's no surprise that Tildie inspired art, creativity, and a maybe even a tiny bit of defiance in many of her nieces and nephews. Over the years Tildie's close knit circle of friends became her extended family in California, and many joined her when she travelled to far flung places like Kenya, Peru, Chile, much of Europe, and the Galapagos Islands. When Tildie's Parkinson's disease began to advance significantly and she could no longer travel or hike, she stayed connected to her friends by organizing art projects and other festivities. She was an unapologetic fan of John Denver, whose songs were played constantly in her final days. We especially hope she heard her favorite, Leaving on a Jet Plane, and was not too chagrined when we sang along. During her last week she was surrounded by family and friends, including Lynn Regaldo, her beloved caregiver of the past three years. We will miss you, Tildie; we wish you didn't have to go. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: Dr. Michael Aminoff, Parkinson's Disease Clinic and Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Room 798-M, Box 0114, San Francisco, CA 94143-0114, or Manoa Heritage Center, 2859 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, or Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120th Street, New York, New York 10027-6696.Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
