Christa M. Basch M.D.

Christa M. Basch M.D. passed away peacefully in Belmont on November 27, 2017. She was born in Berlin, Germany on October 12, 1923 to Lotte and Ludwig Keirmayer. She had a very active childhood culminating in being part of the opening ceremonies of 1936 Berlin Olympics. Her teenage years were dominated by surviving World War II in Germany. During that time, she was trained as a radiological and laboratory technician, having provided care to numerous soldiers injured in battle. This training became invaluable as she realized her dream of becoming a physician after the war.

As normalcy returned to post-war Berlin, Christa was reintroduced to Heinz Basch, who would become her husband in 1952 and they were happily married for 26 years. They were married in Manilla, and spent the next eight years living in the Far East. She worked as doctor while in the Philippines becoming fluent in Tagalog. In 1960 they settled in San Francisco, and Christa began working as a laboratory technician because her medical credentials did not transfer automatically from Germany. With several colleagues encouraging her, she began to the process to recertify her medical license again in the U.S. While raising a family she passed the medical boards and went through her internships and residencies in her 40s.

Dr. Basch specialized in Rheumatology and after 20 years of private practice she moved onto medical research first in Houston, and then later at Syntex Corporation in Palo Alto. After retiring from Syntex, she continued as a medical research consultant for WIRB. Christa reluctantly retired from her research work at the age of 89. While working at Syntex, she met Robert Hill whom she married and they spent 24 of their golden years together traveling and enjoying retirement.

Christa is survived by her two children, Sonja Arrington and Ralph Basch, her daughter- in- law Carol Basch, grandchildren Rachael and Marc Arrington and Laura Sanchez, Connor and Kyle Basch, and great grandchildren Veda and Ramsey Arrington and Sophia Sanchez.

A celebration of life will be held at Hope Lutheran Church, 600 42nd Ave San Mateo, CA on Saturday December 9, 2017 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers the family requests you consider contributions to be made to: Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles 4221 Wilshire Blvd. Ste 400, Los Angeles, CA 90010 ATTN: 4MOM

Or use this link: https://malzgla.akaraisin.com/12870/ gd/Form please add “ATTN: 4MOM”