Ormond (Ormie) Snook

Lamson

100. Ormond (Ormie) Snook Lamson passed peacefully on July 9 at her home in Walnut Creek. She lived a very full life (Jan 1920—July 2020).

She was born in Oakland and raised in the Rockridge area. She was the eldest child, only daughter of Charles Wade Snook and Ruth A. Snook. Her father was a Superior Court Judge for Alameda County appointed by then California Governor Earl Warren. She attended UC Berkeley, was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1942. Her parents and Lamson in-laws all graduated from Berkeley.

She met our father, Dr. Baldwin G. Lamson, at UC Berkeley. They married in Rochester, New York in December 1942. He was in Medical School and the U.S. Navy at the time. Their War Years took them to many locations in the United States, some easier than others. The family eventually settled for 52 years in Encino, California, when our father became a member of the initial faculty at UCLA Medical School. There she raised her four children and created a home where the neighborhood played often. She became a leader in the UCLA Medical School Auxiliary, including a stint as President.

With an optimistic and happy perspective, the mountains were a special influence. She especially enjoyed her time and friends in the Donner Summit area. The Community was a natural fit as early summer years in the Tahoe Park area were spent hiking and swimming. She enjoyed mule pack trips and back packing with her family in the wider Sierra Nevada.

A descendant of a California pioneer family, her great grandfather arrived in San Francisco from New York City, July 2, 1849. Her great grandmother made the overland journey to Portland and arrived by ship in San Francisco in 1852. She and our Dad were very involved with the OregonCalifornia Trail Association while in their 70’s exploring for many years original trail routes that opened the western United States, chasing history and the routes of their ancestors. They also traveled extensively, most notable international journeys included early USSR and China opening; Panama Canal; Peru, Argentina.

After 62 years of marriage, our Dad passed in 2004 at age 88. At that time, she returned to the Bay Area.

She lived through many significant periods of history: post World war 1, the Great Depression; World war 2, Korean War and much more. As a result, she had a strong interest in World events. Reading was a passion and she enjoyed bridge with friends.

She was a very calm Mother with a ready welcoming smile, keen intellect, sense of humor and always encouraging. At 100, she was on her iPad connecting with her wider family. She understood, nurtured, navigated four different children and our Dad. When asked how do you adjust to life’s challenges and set- backs: “I live in the room I am in, quietly reflecting on the past.”

Ormie is survived by her four children all of California: Ann Lamson Williams, Loomis; B.G. Lamson Jr. Granite Bay; Wade Lamson, Lafayette and Stephen Lamson, Pleasanton; as well as by five (5) grandchildren and ten (10) great-grandchildren. A celebration of Life gathering will be held in 2021.

The Lamson Family