Obituaries Obituaries (August 15, 2003)

Harold 'Hal' Booth

Harold 'Hal' Booth of Fremont, an artist who created many watercolors of Pleasanton landmarks, died July 25 at the age of 72 after a lengthy illness.

He was born in Kansas City, Mo., where he played semi-professional baseball and worked as a commercial artist. He moved to California in 1957 to teach and received his Masters degree in art from San Jose State in 1959. He taught art at San Lorenzo High School from 1959-88, where he also coached baseball. After retiring, he began painting fulltime in local areas. His views of Pleasanton grace many Bay Area homes, and his watercolors are currently on exhibit at Studio 7 on West Angela Street. His work has been shown through the country, and he has taught watercolors here as well as in France and Mexico. He also was interested in sports and in digging for and collecting antique bottles.

He is survived by his wife Beth; daughter Andrea and son-in-law Ananth, son Greg and daughter-in-law Janet; granddaughters Tara and Ava and soon-to-be-born Rebecca; and nieces and nephews in Missouri, Iowa and Georgia.

A celebration of his life was held last week. Donations may be made to the Hal Booth Memorial Art Fund c/o East Bay Community Foundation, 200 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, 94612. Funds will be used to support art education in Bay Area schools and community programs. Elsie Dorothea Koopmann White

Dublin native Elsie Dorothea Koopmann White, 107, died in Los Banos on Aug. 9. A member of a Dublin pioneer family, she was born in Dublin on Nov. 16, 1895. She lived in Dublin until 1995, when she moved to Los Banos.

A homemaker, she was an excellent cook and enjoyed quilting.

She is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Lorraine and Dick Hucke of Fallon, Nev., and Marge Bromme of Paso Robles; five grandchildren and their spouses; 10 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lois Larsen, and one granddaughter, Patsy Hucke Bush.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Aug. 15, at Dublin Cemetery.