Christina “Tina” Bofman Way, 74, of Hughson, died Monday December 19, 2022 at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock surrounded by her husband and son after a relatively short battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer. Tina was born to Ralph Tilden Loughlen and Virginia Tener Loughlen. Her parents were homesteading in Alaska when she was conceived. Her mother flew from Alaska to Stockton prior to her giving birth to Tina. Ralph died in a car accident when Tina was 9. Virginia remarried Jack Odain “Bobby” Bofman who then adopted Tina in 1961.
She is survived by Bruce Way, her loving husband of 49 years, of Hughson; son Matthew Way of Modesto; granddaughter Madison Way of Riverbank; grandson Noah Way of Modesto and grandniece Azsane Way, whom she raised, of Los Gatos. She was preceded in death by her parents.
While she was an only child, Tina leaves behind 23 first cousins. Tina attended Mercy High School in Red Bluff; she was taught by “industrial strength” nuns. She wanted to go to Chico High. When she started college she confessed that she was more prepared for college than the majority of her classmates. She attended West Valley College in Campbell, where she met the love of her life, her future husband Bruce. Both were students with part-time jobs at the college. She worked in the bookstore and he worked in the warehouse, which meant delivering books, paper, etc. to the bookstore. They continued their friendship after graduation from West Valley with both attending San Jose State University. On March 8, 1973 they were married in Pacific Grove.
Tina lived in Hughson 45 years. She was a commercial real estate appraiser. “I’m a commercial real estate appraiser. I appraise commercial, industrial, agricultural and special purpose real estate. I don’t appraise houses!” she would have to explain. In 1980, she began her 42-year appraisal career at the Stanislaus County Assessor’s office. In 1984, she left the Assessor’s Office to work for Robert Ford and became the first female commercial appraiser in Stanislaus County. In 2001, she and her husband Bruce started their own appraisal firm of Way and Associates. Tina was actively involved with the Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, obtaining both a MAI and an AI-GRS designation.
Tina loved horses all her life. She rode western as a child when she competed in local horse shows. She then rode “English”: so she could compete in hunters and jumpers categories at horse shows. While she was afraid of heights, jumping a horse over a five-foot fence or higher was thrilling to her. She considered it “vacation time” to work thoroughbred sales at Rancho Del Charro in Pleasanton, mucking stalls and showing horses to potential buyers from sunup until late into the night. She was also an enthusiastic horse breeder. Scouring stud books looking for the perfect horse to breed with one of her band of brood mares.
Tina was also a poet. In 1993, her mother submitted one of her poems to California North (NorCal) Chapter of The National League of American Pen Women. Her poem captured First Place in the NorCal Biennial Open Writing Contest.
There will be no service at this time. A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday March 11, 2023 at Redwood Café in Oakdale.
Remembrances may be made to Central Catholic High School, 212 S. Carpenter Road, Modesto, CA 95351.
Leave a Condolence