Carl Wayne & Juanita Marie Borror

Celebrating the Lives of Carl Wayne Borror and Juanita Marie (Cuthrell) Borror.

A Memorial celebrating the Life and Love of Carl Wayne Borror and Juanita Marie (Cuthrell) Borror will be held on Saturday, July 24th at 11:00am at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. 270 N. Placer, Idaho Falls, ID 83402.

Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, former students, anyone touched by their lives, all are welcome. Please respectively wear a mask inside the church; protect and respect. In lieu of flowers or gifts, we encourage vaccinations and well-earned hugs.

Carl Wayne Borror, the son of Curtis William Borror and Margaret Rebecca (Diehl) Borror, was born on June 1, 1936, in the family farmhouse in Friends Cove, PA. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Margaret “Ann” who passed from COVID-19 in 2020.

The Borror’s are of Swiss descent with some aligned families from Scotland. Jacob Borror immigrated to the colony of Virginia, where he married Barbara Tschudi. Their son Charles received a lifelong pension for his service with the Virginia militia in the Revolutionary War, after which, the family moved to the high mountain country of what would become Grant County, WV.

Josef Diehl immigrated from Germany to Loudoun County, VA. His son Samuel Diehl also fought for the Colonies in the Revolutionary War. Samuel, his wife Margaret Ritchey, and other family members were among the early settlers in Friends Cove (Colerain Township), Bedford County, PA. The extended Diehl family would farm there for over 200 years.

Carl’s father Curtis served with the “China Marines” in Shanghai. Upon his return he and Margaret Diehl fell in love, married, and settled on a beautiful family farm where Carl and his sister Ann were born. Carl had a wonderful red dog named Ginger and they were free to roam.

During WWII, the family moved to Baltimore, MD where Curtis operated heavy cranes at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard during the construction of over 500 ships between 1941-1945. Carl enjoyed school, sledding with friends on the hill behind their house, and like most boys at that time he memorized silhouette cutouts of enemy planes… just in case.

Sadly, for Margaret, the family never moved back to Friends Cove, but she and the kids spent as much time there as possible. Carl enjoyed visiting with his grandmother and extended family. Reunited with his dog, he wandered the fields and woodlands studying, or hunting small game. Whatever they caught, Margaret would cook it up and serve it with grape or apple pie topped with fresh cream. Carl loved everything about farm life, except for the slaughterhouse. He understood the necessity of it, but the smell haunted him for life.

After the war, the family had wanderlust, moving up-and-down the coast from New York to Florida, with Curtis promising that someday they would go all the way to Alaska. Carl loved studying marine life along the coast and the time they spent living on either side of Chesapeake Bay. They also enjoyed visiting the Baltimore Colts training camp, and prophetically, Carl tried skiing for the first time in upstate New York.

The family eventually settled near Camden, DE so Carl could spend his Jr. and Sr. years attending Caesar Rodney High School preparing to attend college. He was quick to make friends; he was a multi-sport athlete, took part in school plays, and played the trumpet. Carl was a brilliant student, especially in math and science, and his academic achievements earned him the nickname “Carl Wayne the Walking Brain.” He was elected president of his senior class, graduated with honors, and was the class valedictorian. Carl’s best friend was Robert Cuthrell, and after graduation, they became roommates at the University of Delaware. Paying close attention was Robert’s younger sister, Juanita.

Juanita Marie Cuthrell, the second child of William Cuthrell and Marta (Varisco/Iengo) Arnold, was born on August 7, 1939, in the family home in Wyoming, DE. She was named after her two grandmothers, French/English, and Italian. She is survived by her brother Robert Cuthrell and her sister Mary Jo Carey; she was preceded in death by her parents, sister Dottie Cuthrell O’Brien, and younger brother Hayden Cuthrell. The Cuthrell Clan were early English colonists that settled in NC and VA. Marta’s family immigrated from Naples and Sicily to Staten Island, NY

Juanita’s father was an engineer and inventor who worked for International Latex in Dover, DE. She described her childhood as a festive Italian atmosphere. Her hero growing up was always her brother Robert; he was a Dodger fan, so she was a Dodger fan; he liked football, so she liked football, his best friend was Carl Borror, so… Juanita adored her grandparents Mary (Varisco) and Edward J. Ratledge and would often stay with them during the week then spend weekends at home. She also enjoyed visiting her father’s family in Virginia each summer.

Juanita attended Caesar Rodney High School. She was very involved in school activities and took classes preparing to attend college. She played field hockey and sacrificed a tooth to the sport. Beginning in first grade Juanita’s goal was always to become a teacher. She was president of the Future Teachers of America Club at Caesar Rodney for two years. She and her best friend Carlene would spend hours discussing how they would someday organize their classrooms and teach different subjects. After graduating, Juanita followed her brother to the University of Delaware, where she and Carlene were college roommates for three years.

Carl Borror was at Delaware studying to be a Chemical Engineer and he earned his B.S. in Nuclear Chemistry. His final essay in high school had been a blue book exploration of the potential peacetime uses for nuclear energy: nuclear-powered ships and planes, future advances in nuclear medicine, spacecraft capable of deep-space exploration, off-earth colonization, and an endless supply of clean energy with the potential to protect the environment and level the wealth gap between countries.

Carl’s Kappa Alpha fraternity, and Juanita’s dormitory, took their meals in the same dining hall. Some genius strategically arranged the hall so that the young women would have to file by the young men as they went to their dining tables. Carl and Juanita would exchange greetings, and he would ask about Robert, who after convincing Carl to sign up for Army ROTC with him, had transferred to Western Maryland to play football and pole vault for the track team.

Carl craftily eliminated competition by telling his fraternity brothers that he thought Juanita was “going steady” with someone. Then one day during her second semester, Juanita found herself distracted from the customary lunch-time banter with Carlene and her friends… she kept wondering why Carl wasn’t in the dining hall. Then a soft voice said “Boo” over her shoulder… it was Carl just back from an exam… he asked her if she would be his date for the Military Ball where he was being honored as a Distinguished Student. And that, was that. Carlene captured this moment with a water-color painting, which she gave to them the following year when Juanita and Carl were “pinned.”

Carl and Juanita married on November 21, 1959. While Juanita continued her studies, Carl went to Purdue University and then graduated with the Fifth Chemical Officer Class at the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Training Command in Fort McClellan, AL. After closing exercises on July 1, 1960, Lieutenant Borror awaited orders to fulfill his obligation. The expectation was that he would be stationed in Maryland and that Juanita would complete her degree at Delaware. The following spring Carl was suddenly ordered to report to Dugway Proving Grounds, in Dugway, Utah for two years. Juanita decided to go with Carl to Utah, just a few credits shy of completing her degree.

Carl and Juanita visited Niagara Falls and then spent a month touring across the country. They arrived in Salt Lake City on July 24, just in time for the Pioneer Day parade. They had no idea what was going on, but they happily joined in on the first of many such celebrations. The Berlin Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis would extend their stay with the U.S. Army, but they didn’t mind. Dugway was a confined place, which created an extended family atmosphere. They purchased a beautiful collie named Laddie. Wild Mustangs roamed freely in the communal areas of the base. They sadly lost a first pregnancy but followed that up with the birth of their first son, David, whom they loved showing off at University of Utah football games.

They toured Yellowstone, Teton National Park, and the Jackson Hole area. Carl took full advantage of discount ski lessons offered to the soldiers by Alta Ski Resort. That hook was in deep, and he would return throughout his life to enjoy the champagne powder snow of the Wasatch with his children.

Carl chose not to accept a promotion to Captain and entertained offers in the growing aerospace industry as well as other options to return to Connecticut or Pennsylvania. Juanita longed to return to the east coast, but Carl secretly had no interest in going back. He followed his first passion and took a position with Westinghouse at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program at the National Reactor Testing Station, commonly called “the Site” in the high desert of eastern Idaho.

Carl, Juanita, David, and Laddie moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, a quaint town of approximately 33,000 people, which reportedly had the highest percentage of people with PhDs per capita in the country at the time. Juanita and Carl were soon happy to welcome another son, Steven; and long after they had given up on being able to have more children, they were blessed with the arrival of their daughter, Mary JoAnne.

Carl would spend his career working in, and eventually managing, the chemistry group located at the A1W nuclear aircraft carrier prototype. The original mission of NRF was to demonstrate the feasibility of powering nuclear powered submarines; it was the stuff of Capt. Nemo and his Nautilus come to life. The men and women at NRF accomplished great things with submarine and aircraft carrier reactor prototypes. Most of it was, and probably still is, highly classified. Carl would never talk about it. He greatly enjoyed working on the USS Enterprise at Newport News Shipyard and at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA (“Building 65”) where the family relocated for one summer. He was especially honored to sail with her and her crew on several occasions.

Carl and Juanita surrounded themselves with an adopted family. Neighbors like Dr. John and Kay Costley, Mary Lu and Thaylon Hobbs, Lynn Kinghorn, the Fridenstines, and so many more became like sisters and brothers. The first person Juanita met in Idaho Falls was Patricia Mings, who was also dining in the Travel Lodge restaurant with her 1-year-old, while husbands Carl and Walt completed interviews at the Site. They all became steadfast friends for life.

Thanksgiving dinners, Easter dinners, summer cookouts, and post-game celebrations with the families of Clyde and Hazel Toole, Carla and Roland Smith, Dr. Ed and Karen Payne became annual traditions.

They centered their lives around community activities and worship/stewardship at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Carl served as Junior Warden; Juanita held various offices in St. Annes’s Guild, taught Sunday School, served on the Stewardship Committee welcoming newcomers, served on the Altar Guild, and was an active organizer and member of the Prayer Chain, the kids served as Acolytes. For years, the Borrors, Johnsons, St. Clairs, and Richards/Cooks formed an Advent-Family enjoying weekly dinners together celebrating the build up to Christmas.

Carl hiked the White Clouds with the amazing Al Fridenstine and the Tetons with his kids. He studied the histories of the Nez Perce and the Shoshone, he travelled the Lewis & Clark trail, and loved long drives across the country and throughout the west.

He and several friends served as members of the National Ski Patrol at Pine Basin, then at Snow King Mountain in Jackson. They and their families would descend on the slopes and hotels of Jackson a couple of times a month for nearly 20 years. It was awesome! Carl was a member of the Idaho Falls Ski Club, taking part in the yearly ski swap, Warren Miller film events at the Civic Auditorium, and ski trips to Colorado. One year several friends decided to keep it going during the off-season and built sail boats together. After a couple of summers, Carl’s boat spent the rest of its life battened to the ceiling of the garage.

Juanita volunteered as a Pink Lady at the hospital, as a Room Mother at Theresa Bunker Elementary School, became a Cub Scout Den Mother and Brownie Scout leader, and served as a professional kid chauffer. When the kids were at I.F. High School, she helped with the Tiger Rag Rummage Sale, and she and Carl served on a special Parent Advisory board together. She was a member of P.E.O. She and her friends formed a Bridge club which served the best deserts in town. She was an amazing cook and baker, with a cult following for her cakes and brownies.

After the boys were in college, Juanita’s dear friend Karen Payne called and said there was an opening in special education at Dora Erickson Elementary School. Juanita was at first hesitant, but Karen and Carl insisted that she interview, and she was offered a position as a teacher’s aide. Carl came home that evening, took one look at Juanita, smiled, and said, “Neets has a job, and the Lord has taken her full circle.” It was a time of “complete joy.”

Then, she was offered the position of reading tutor in the Chapter I program and Juanita hit her sweet spot. She treated each child as an individual worthy of respect and devotion and challenged herself each year to learn the names of every student in the school. She encouraged everyone to read and offered tailored suggestions to any student who came to her. At the annual book fair, she would anonymously purchase several children’s selections knowing they might otherwise go unfulfilled. She purchased winter coats, hats, and gloves for children who came to school without them. Officially, she was responsible for tutoring nine students full time. But additional students were soon referred to her by teachers and other students came to her after hearing about the program she had organized. The endless encouragement she offered anyone who expressed interest or asked for help was infectious. Soon, she was tutoring as many as 80 students a year. She absolutely loved being a teacher.

For Carl and Juanita, the years after retirement should have been kinder. Battles with physical health issues. A race with the inevitable decline of Alzheimer’s dementia held valiantly at bay for nearly a decade. The unfortunate, but natural fits of dementia related anger and resentment, followed by deep compassion. Distance. The gradual loss of independence. The emotional move to assisted living. Normal but difficult transitions for everyone involved. They received loving attention from the staff, volunteers, and hospice caregivers at Homestead Assisted Living, but it was not their home. Then the pandemic.

Juanita tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, December 15th. She went almost a week with minimal symptoms and seemed to be faring well. Then in 24-36 hours, she went from looking like she would endure, to fighting for every breath. The night of December 22, 2020, Juanita “Tessered” to her new dimension. Just like that she was gone. Through much of it, Carl was there, quietly holding her hand.

Christmas Eve morning we received a message from a devoted caregiver that read, “I think your dad wants to be home for Christmas with his Juanita… What a love story!!” He had entered an end-of-life breathing pattern. But Carl was Swiss / Pennsylvania Dutch stubborn to the end, and he wanted one more Christmas with his clan. The staff setup a laptop in his room so we could see him, and we spent most of Christmas day and night on a Zoom call, telling stories, reliving family history, sharing holiday dinners, laughing loud, crying quietly, and often just sitting in stunned silence admiring this simple, great man, who meant the world to us.

At 12:43pm Carl’s breathing changed quietly, not in distress, but with noticeably longer pauses, like final sips of a fine wine. I leaned in and whispered quietly to him that we loved him, that it was okay, we would be alright. Trust his strong faith and his belief in science, let go, evolve, be reborn, be perfect. At 12:50am, December 26, Carl moved his right arm, not in a sudden reflexive movement like the Lazarus sign, but in a very controlled motion until his hand pointed toward the laptop in his room for several seconds. Then he lightly put his hand down and let out a gentle exhalation.

Carl Wayne Borror made a graceful and deliberate transition, just like his ski turns.

Carl and Juanita loved and lived for their children, leading by example. They believed in higher education. They emphasized courage in the face of challenges, recognized the importance of achievement and failure, and encouraged the pursuit of happiness doing what you love. They taught deep love for the land we live on, the air we breathe, the water we depend on and play in. They taught great respect for those that were here before us, their cultures, traditions, and beliefs; and for those explorers who dared to journey beyond the ordinary and discover the unexpected. They expressed deep, quiet faith, filled with respect, empathy, and action.

They are survived by their children David (Natacha) of Venice Beach, CA, Steven (Carol) of Coquille, OR, Mary (Stephen) of Victor, ID, their four grandchildren Gabrielle, Carter, Emanuel, and Josephine, and their dog Lilli.

Carl and Juanita Borror loved fully. They touched many, many lives and will be sorely missed. Godspeed!