Rachelle Winterbourne, a language autodidact who once fought Starbucks to keep the name of her hair salon and was known in Stinson Beach for her gatherings, Christmas decorations and love of the color purple, died on Jan. 18. She was 72 years old.

Since moving to Bolinas in the ‘70s, Rachelle forged friendships and built community through her annual holiday celebrations, which she always held in January so as not to conflict with other parties. She was both independent and caring, reflecting the long line of strong women that preceded her. 

“She lived her life on her time and in her own way,” Kim Niemer, Rachelle’s niece, said. “She had a full and accomplished life, with many friends. While I feel like she died prematurely, Rachelle had a full life.”

Rachelle was born on July 11, 1945 in Dallas to Corrine, a teacher, and James, an officer in the air force. She was the older sister to two younger brothers, Bruce and David. For a few years the family lived on the Azores, but after her marriage dissolved, Corrine moved with the children to Southern California, where she attended Chapman University for teaching credentials. 

The family lived in public housing in the city of Compton and the children learned to look after themselves while their mother was in school. 

As the eldest, Rachelle assumed the role of caretaker for her brothers, doing the laundry and cooking supper, and this early responsibility instilled a sense of self-sufficiency that would continue throughout her life. It also created a tight bond between the siblings. 

Following her graduation from Western High School, Rachelle lived in Laguna Beach, where she ran with an artistic crowd. She met Francis Winterbourne when she was 19, and though they were only married for a few years, the relationship provided Rachelle with an everlasting name. Rachelle would never have children, but became the matriarch of her own family, which would include nine nieces and nephews between her two brothers. She hosted Thanksgiving at her house and planned each family reunion. 

“We’d joked that for somebody who never had kids, she was looking over nine adults,” Kim said. “She really cared about the people in her life, and loved to host. I think that’s why she had so many good friends: because she herself was a good friend.”

Rachelle moved to Bolinas, attracted by the beach and cool weather, and worked as a cook at the Full Circle School in Dogtown. It was there that she met her longtime friend Kathy Bustamante, and the two soon moved in together on the Big Mesa. Rachelle adored Minnie Mouse and fashioned her bathroom into “Minnie Mouse land,” Ms. Bustamante recalled.

Rachelle also loved Christmas, and friends would bring her ornaments from around the world to decorate her tree. After she relocated from Bolinas, the reputation earned her the role of sprucing up Stinson Beach every December. The library, community center and post office were touched by her Christmas spirit for many years. 

“That was like her art installation,” said Heather Wilcoxon, a former Bolinas resident and a painter whose art Rachelle frequently supported.

If Rachelle were a color, her hue would certainly be purple. Family sometimes referred to her as “the purple bella” (although “Rocky” was a more common local nickname)  and the color adorned her furniture, clothes and car. It also often guided friends toward gifts: if it had purple on it, it had Rachelle written on it. 

She was also immediately recognized for the purple streaks she dyed into her hair. After Rachelle visited Kim in Redding for the opening of the Sundial Bridge, people would often ask Kim about her “purple-haired aunt.”

Rachelle had a passion for hair styling, and she trained with famed English stylist Vidal Sassoon. It was around that time that she changed her name to Rachelle from her given name of Susan, which she never felt was the name for her.

In 1989, she opened the Starbuck’s Beauty Salon in her house in Stinson Beach. At one point, the coffee chain tried to force her to change the name, but she fought them until she won. Her salon was known for avant-garde cuts and the personal attention she gave to her customers.

“She told me once, when she was younger, that she thought about becoming a therapist,” Susan Roush, a longtime friend, said. “But she began to think about what a therapist does: people go to them because they’re not feeling happy and the hope is they leave feeling better. Rachelle said she decided to do the same thing, but through hair. When people came in, no matter how they were feeling before, they’d leave feeling better.”

Rachelle eventually purchased her home, a feat that became a point of pride. She was an active member of the local emergency response team, served on the board of the Friends of the Stinson Beach Library and was publicly honored by the Stinson Beach Historical Society in 2017 for her holiday decorations.

Despite her immersion in the community—a photo from the 1999 New Year’s Eve party at the community center shows Rachelle engulfed in a sea of friends and balloons—she traveled as often as she could. She loved visiting Croatia, Susan said, but her favorite was Italy, where she would marvel at both Renaissance and contemporary art and attend the Venice Biennale. She taught herself both Italian and French throughout her life. 

A couple of years ago, Rachelle’s liver began to suffer and she learned that she had a congenital condition. But friends said she never let pain or discomfort prevent her from brightening the lives around her.

“It was shocking when we learned about her disease because she always acted like it was a big cold and nothing else,” Miguel Bustamante, an oral surgeon in Bolinas who knew her for decades, said. “She never acted miserable in front of anybody. She was independent and showed everyone she could take care of herself. I admired her because of this. She never showed fear in her eyes.”

Ms. Bustamante visited Rachelle at Pacific Medical Center before her death and said Rachelle was adamant that she would pull through until her final day. 

“Even in the hospital, she was talking about planting flowers in the spring,” she said. “I went in to see her with my children, and the only recognition we received from her was when she raised her hand to wave goodbye. The last thing I said was, ‘I’ll see you soon.’ I wanted to continue her optimism.”

 

A celebration of life for Rachelle Winterbourne will be held on July 14 in Stinson Beach. For information, contact Kim at kpniemer@gmail.