Obituary of Beth Saunders Tulley
Beth Saunders Tulley 1927-2023
On August 8, 2023, after 96 years of a life well lived and well loved, Beth Tulley passed away peacefully in Folsom, CA. Beth was born in Eureka, CA on January 16, 1927 and grew up in Trinidad, CA. In her last years, a favorite painting of the Trinidad Lighthouse hung on her wall and brought her much comfort and made her smile.
Beth loved growing up in Humboldt County, but after graduating from Arcata High School in 1943 she wanted to strike out on her own. After one year at Humboldt College she transferred to San Jose State University where she earned a degree in Business and made many lifelong friends in the Boarding House where she lived. On three day weekends she would take the 12 hour bus ride back to Trinidad. One most precious memory was the summer she and two college friends worked in Yosemite. They watched the Firefall each night, explored every inch of Yosemite valley, and even hiked up Half Dome. WWII made a big impression on Beth. The majority of men were away at war during her college years and she wrote letters to friends and family she knew until they returned home.
After college Beth and friends got jobs in San Francisco and moved into a Guest House where she met her future husband John. Although the first attraction was that he had a car, she soon learned they had many other interests. They married in 1948 and settled down in Pleasant Hill, CA where they started raising their family before moving to Lafayette. Beth was a loving wife and mother and always had the best interests of her children in mind, even if it meant becoming a Camp Fire Girl leader. She also had a love for travel and enjoyed the research and planning so much that she became a travel agent after her nest was empty. She enjoyed many wonderful trips with John until his passing in 1993. Having a zest for life she continued to be active and travel and was fortunate to meet Don Strain with whom she had 17 years of close friendship before his passing.
Beth was from the greatest generation and never forgot her past. She loved recalling a bygone era, Sunday childhood dinners with her grandparents in Arcata, her annual reunions with her college friends and years of fun ballroom dancing. But she also embraced the future and loved learning new things, texting and emailing up into her 90’s. She would read her local paper cover to cover and of course clip and mail you an article of interest; she never missed John Madden on the radio.
Beth always said, “If you take care of things, they will last forever”, as she proudly used her toaster for over 70 years. She had an incredible ability and passion to connect with people and had many lifetime friendships. She would never forget a birthday or an anniversary and always sent just the perfect card.
Beth was predeceased by her parents, Moses and Mae (Chaffey) Saunders of Trinidad, her husband, John Tulley and son, Tom Tulley; her brother and sister-in-law Glenn and Janis (Moore) Saunders. Beth is survived by her daughter Janet Eldridge (Jim); Jim’s loving daughters Karris, Merany, Savannah and their families; niece and nephews, Gail Saunders, Steven Saunders and Larry Saunders and their families; and many dear cousins.
Beth leaves behind a legacy of how to treat people. She touched the hearts of family and friends who will always think of Beth and smile, the way she smiled at that old Trinidad painting. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Trinidad Museum P. O. Box 1126, Trinidad, CA. 95570
