Elizabeth Head Boatman

Elizabeth Head Boatman was born in Saginaw, Michigan on June 12, 1951. She grew up surrounded by the rivers and fields of Michigan and spent a lot of time on her aunt’s farm. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree, ready for a teaching career. Life had other plans, and Elizabeth ended up in banking, a successful career in finance that lasted for 35 years across multiple banking institutions.

In the 1970s she met writer Alan Neil Boatman through a mutual friend. They hit it off and when the Boatman family moved from Michigan to southern California, Elizabeth went too. They married in a sunny backyard wedding in 1978. Elizabeth’s only child, Halley, was born in 1985. Elizabeth wanted to show her baby the world, and she instilled in her daughter her love of travel.

Elizabeth died suddenly at home in Rancho Cucamonga, California on March 25, 2025. She was 73 years old.

Elizabeth was a world-traveler, making friends wherever she went. In recent years she traveled to Alaska to go dog-sledding and see the Northern Lights. She also went to Scotland and London to visit castles and museums. As an avid Lord of the Rings fan, Elizabeth traveled frequently to New Zealand, which is as close to Middle-Earth as one can get. There she fell in love with the waterfalls, snowy mountains, and green forests.

Elizabeth and Halley also shared a passion for Star Wars, and they traveled around the United States to multiple fan conventions, in costumes that Elizabeth sewed herself—including memorable Jawa costumes!

Photography was Elizabeth’s passion. Over the decades, she shot all types of photos (people and nature were special favorites) and could often be found at her desk editing and processing in her favorite photo program. She loved to explore and see new things and meet new people. And she photographed it all along the way.

Elizabeth’s other great love was dogs—she had several throughout her life and in her later years could often be seen in the company of one of her Australian Shepherds. These smart dogs shared her excitement for life and joy in adventure. Elizabeth enjoyed reading and some of her favorite books were mysteries where the detective’s dog narrates the story.

Elizabeth was a bright spot in the lives of everyone who knew her and her spark will be greatly missed.