Christina (Chris) Boller Caples was born October 18, 1938 in Montreal, Canada. She was the only child of Vera Jorgensen (Collom) and Conrade Stean. She spent a lot of quality time with her Granny and made very fond childhood memories with her cousins in Canada. Chris attended Villa Maria Catholic boarding school and graduated from William C. Bryant High School in New York.
She began working at Hertz Rent-a-Car in 1964. It was while working there, she met Hans Urlich (Jon) Boller, a native from Switzerland, who swept her off her feet. They married in June of 1965 and to that union, a daughter, her only child, Laura, was born. Also while working at Hertz she met her lifelong friend, Arlene. That “Thelma and Louise” relationship spanned decades that lead the duo from New York to Anaheim, California. The two traveled across country in a Volkswagen Beetle (must be where Laura gets her love of classic VWs) with Laura and Arlene’s son, Christopher. The four eventually settled in Valencia and thus their lives in California began!
Chris began working in the insurance industry in 1976 at Harry McCann’s Insurance Agency in Santa Paula. Insurance shortly became her passion and she worked in the industry for over 34 years, retiring from California (Capital) Insurance Group in December 2010.
Chris had no greater passion than her family. She enjoyed regular dinners, family gatherings, weekend getaways at the beach, camping, and many vacations with them. When Laura married Barney, Chris was blessed with an instant family. The entire Galvan family accepted her into their family and made her feel welcome and comfortable. For that, Laura will be eternally grateful.
Although Chris was an only child, she grew up with several cousins in Canada. Although visits weren’t frequent enough in recent years, they always held a special place in her heart. Her childhood wasn’t easy, but the good memories often involved her cousins, Karen, Brian, Carol, Cathy, Eileen, John and Peter.
She was blessed with many close friends too whom she considered family/siblings. It is said that friends are the family we choose ourselves. So to Arlene Ogram, Don and Mary McClure, John and Donna Lamey, and Barbara Stiles, thank you for being part of Chris’s family! Your loyalty, love and support will never be forgotten. She loved each of you! Other than her family, she enjoyed spending some time (and money) on the slots! She never passed up an invitation to go “up North” (Chumash) and other casinos wherever she was. Chris also enjoyed crocheting. As a young girl, her aunt taught her the art and over the years, Chris made several afghans for people she cared about. And then there was her love for Hollywood gossip and her amazing sense of humor!
Those who remain to mourn her loss, are her daughter and son-in-law, Barney and Laura Galvan; her grandson Barney and his wife Pearl Galvan and their children, Christian and Juliana; her grandson, Timm and his wife Priscilla Galvan and their children, Malique and Miahnna; and her grandson Matthew. Matthew was her pride and joy. She was so proud of him and his accomplishments. Although she won’t be here physically to see his future achievements, she will remain in our hearts forever; therefore, she will always be with us!
Surrounded by her family, Chris lost her short battle with cancer on August 5, 2013. Her loss will be felt for a lifetime. However, we are so blessed with memories that will, in time, overshadow our grief. Our lives are forever changed with her loss, but we are better for having her to love and her loving us. Thank you to all our friends and family who prayed and supported us during these last few weeks. It is some consolation knowing we are loved by so many.
Prayer of the Most Holy Rosary will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at Skillin-Carroll Mortuary, 738 East Santa Paula Street in Santa Paula. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, 3175 Telegraph Road, Ventura on Monday, August 12, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Santa Paula Cemetery.
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