Coralie J Borning

Coralie Borning, long time Moscow resident, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025 in Pullman, where she lived the last 2 months of her life. Her son was with her. She remained alert and with a sharp memory until almost the very end of her life, always greeting visitors with questions about their children (remembered by name), travels, work, etc. She was also a skilled bridge player, often winning well into her 100s. With typical thoughtfulness and planning, the rest of this obituary was written by Coralie herself a few years ago, with only light editing subsequently.

Originally from Garfield Heights, Ohio, she was the daughter of Ernest and Mary (Souhrada) Hamilton. Her life began when radio, planes, and electrical appliances were new.  In a park adjoining their home, gas street lights were still lit by lamplighters.  History unfolded rapidly.  She often asked “What next?”

During World War II, after going through the Garfield Heights school system and nurses’ training, Coralie became a part of a newly formed unit of Navy flight nurses. Based mainly in Honolulu, she found duty exciting.  The patients were stabilized by the time they were on the flight back to the US, and were finally going home -- for them a very happy time.

After the war ended, she enrolled at the University of Minnesota and there met her future husband, Bernard Borning.  Bernie was finishing a doctorate in Political Science.  Following their marriage in 1949, they moved to Moscow, where Bernie was on the U of I Political Science faculty for 39 years.  Their house was in the original University Heights.

Their much loved children were born in Moscow.  Education became the focus of their lives. Their son Alan retired in 2016 from the University of Washington Department of Computer Science & Engineering. Their daughter Katherine was an art teacher and then a speech therapist in Santa Monica, California, with her own clinic, and passed away in 2016. Three grandchildren (Alexandra, Mo, and David) and two great-grandchildren (Charline and Marion), carry on. Bernie, with Coralie, enjoyed two sabbaticals, one in Korea on a Fulbright, and the other in Nigeria.

After their children were grown, Coralie completed a masters degree at the University of Idaho, retrained as a librarian, and joined the WSU Science Library.  One time she was sent to UCLA to learn about a (then) new reference tool – Computerized Medical Literature Online (MEDLINE).

Coralie and Bernie were among the founders of the Unitarian Church of the Palouse, and Coralie was the last surviving signator of the church’s charter.

She also joined the newly formed League of Women Voters. At the first meeting new members volunteered for various positions and offices. Coralie signed up for refuse disposal. It was at a time when local municipalities were trying to address their refuse problems by replacing open dumps with sanitary landfills.

In retirement, Coralie continued studying geneology and playing bridge. She and Bernie, both avid readers, traveled with their trailer to Mexico and the Southwest United States, and overseas to Spain and Morocco.  They also spent much time with their families at their cabin on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Coralie’s life, which had started with the old lamplighters, ended in a complex world with the streetlamps now controlled by computers.

Godspeed, Coralie - much love from your family and friends!  You will be much missed.