Obituary of Nina Mae MacAngus

Nina Mae MacAngus 1938 - 2012 Nina passed away on Tuesday March 27, 2012 at Dominican Hospital after a valiant battle with congestive heart failure, at the age of 73. Nina was born on a farm in Grantsburg, Wisconsin on May 12, 1938, to Dorothy L. and William S. Ridge. After her father passed away when Nina was four years old, her mother moved to San Francisco to obtain employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad. Nina and her brother Frank were raised by their mother and grandmother. She graduated from Balboa High School in June 1956. Nina met her future husband, Don MacAngus, in high school, and they married one year after graduation on June 8, 1957, honeymooned at Johnson's Lodge in Guerneville, California, moving to depot hill in Capitola to start their life together. Nina retired from her career at the McHenry Library at UC Santa Cruz after 27 years. She was hired one year after the campus opened and retired in 1993. She treasured the friendships she enjoyed with her coworkers and lifelong friends, Larry Millsap, Janet Mastropietro, Shirley Hart, Jackie Russo, and Connie Croker. Nina loved her family, all animals and birds, and all animals and birds that visited her home got fed. She loved all animals but especially squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons. She loved to see birds enjoying seeds from the many birdfeeders she had in her yard, her favorites being quail, hummingbirds, tufted titmouse's and Jays. She had a favorite Jay that would visit every day to enjoy the peanuts she tossed to him. She had a special love for her dog Patches, and her daughter Robin's dogs, Buttercup, Daisy, and Romeo. On every trip to a new town she had to visit the local zoo to see their animals, especially the elephants. Nina especially loved horses. She loved to ride her own horse, a beautiful paint horse named Fancy Nancy, a 16 hand barrel racing mare, and a thing to behold. Nina enjoyed many fine rides on her horse, and gave it the best care and kept her well-fed. She enjoyed family camping trips at the Eel River and Lake Pillsbury, was a skilled archer winning many local archery tournaments, and was a competent bowler, winning several local league tournaments. She enjoyed motorcycle rides, riding behind her husband on their Gold Wing motorcycle, taking trips to Yosemite, Twain Harte, Ukiah, and rides down the coast to Nepenthe, and the Ventana Inn. She enjoyed trout fishing on the Eel River, the Upper Sacramento at Dunsmuir, mackinaw fishing at Lake Tahoe, and backpacking in the Sierra's out of Kennedy Meadows. She enjoyed traveling, including trips to Scotland, England, Japan, and four trips to Hawaii with her husband. She always said her favorite place on earth was the Banyan Court at Waikiki Beach. She loved roses, had a beautiful rose garden, knew the names of all of her roses, and enjoyed having arrangements of beautiful blooms on her kitchen table. Her favorite roses were Helen Traubel, Cecil Bruener, Mr. Lincoln, Love, Double Delight, and Iceberg because it had no thorns. Nina is survived by her three children, daughter Susan Martin (and her husband Greg) of Eagle River, Alaska, son Donald MacAngus (and his wife Ruth) of Salt Lake City, Utah, and daughter Robin MacAngus of Santa Cruz. She is survived by nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren, plus Nicole Rinaldi, a special family friend who was like a daughter to her. Her hero, from childhood days to her final days, was always Roy Rogers. A handsome dashing hero, coming to the rescue of maidens in distress, thwarting villains, apprehending evildoers, and riding his beautiful horse Trigger, always returning to his loving family at the conclusion of the adventure, singing his songs and playing his guitar. One of her special trips was to visit the Roy Rogers Museum when it was in its heyday. She was preceded in death by her parents, her grandparents, and her brother Frank Ridge. Nina is also survived by three nieces, Laura, Ellen and Diane, and their husbands and families. Services will be Tuesday April 3rd at the Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga Street, Santa Cruz, at 1:00 PM, immediately followed by a gathering of family and friends at the adjoining Sierra Room. Sincere appreciation is extended to doctors Glancy, Moore, Conroy, Morris, Kaiser, and the excellent nursing staff at Dominican Hospital. She will never be forgotten and always loved.