Roslyn Mary Bullas

Oct 16, 1961 - July 1, 2020

Roslyn Mary Bullas, age 58, born in Montana and raised in California, attended the University of California, Berkeley (class of ‘84) where she majored in political science. She and fellow student Michael David McKay met on the roof of their student co-op apartment and became partners in love and life for 40 years. Roslyn’s mother Rosemary Grace Bullas (neé Ekdahl) grew up on a sheep farm in the remote Taranaki settlement of Okoki, New Zealand which Roslyn visited throughout her life. Roslyn and Michael resided in Berkeley until 2012 when they fulfilled a dream by moving to New Zealand where they built a house on a large plot of native forest in the secluded Ruakokoputuna Valley in rural Wairarapa. With interests in gardening and cooking, she and Michael grew much of their own food on the land, brewed up spectacular kombucha, and made jams and preserves. Roslyn’s great-grandfather, George Graham, was a member of the first-ever team to climb Mt. Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand in 1894. Roslyn continued his climbing tradition with many backpacking trips and climbs in the mountains of California, New Zealand, and around the world. Her passion for the great outdoors–hiking, scuba diving, and river rafting–was matched by her appreciation for theatre, literature, fine cuisine, and live music. Although Roslyn loved high thread-count bed sheets, she measured her wealth in the number of nights spent in a tent and performances attended. She and Michael were some of the longest serving volunteer ushers at the Berkeley Repertory Theater and were members of the Hillside Club in Berkeley. Soon after moving to New Zealand, Roslyn and Michael joined Tuesday Night Mike, a Wellington based social club. Her career was as an editor and associate publisher, working for book publishers including Wilderness Press, Peach Pit Press, Lonely Planet, and North Atlantic Books. She mentored junior editors, coached authors, and coaxed new writers in finishing their first published books with good humor, a keen eye, and a collaborative and creative spirit. Roslyn was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. After initial treatment, she quietly and steadfastly defied cancer by living actively and fully, not letting it define her or prevent her from pursuing her passions. Her love of being active was so great that in spite of the recurrence of the illness in 2014, she continued rigorous hikes and long swims up until the final months of her life. Roslyn died on July 1 at her Ruakokoputuna home surrounded by the beauty of the native New Zealand bush and in the loving care of Michael McKay. She is survived by her brother Graham and his partner, Richard Clegg of London, and her father, Leonard Bullas of Loma Linda. A private memorial will take place in New Zealand on 2 August and US-based memorials are being planned. Donations welcomed in her name to Bay Area Cancer Connections. https://www.bayareacancer.org/give.html.