Eldri Terese Jauch
Eldri Terese Jauch, 74, of Lompoc, California, died on June 9, 2019. She was a Swiss and American citizen born in Northfield, Minnesota. Her father, Josef Jauch, was a theoretical physicist, and her mother, Tonia Jauch, was a counselor and community activist.
Eldri spent her childhood in Iowa City, Iowa, until the age of 13, when the family moved to Geneva, Switzerland. After completing high school there, she earned a Master’s degree in biology at the University of Geneva. In 1967 she moved to Santa Barbara, California, where she spent most of the rest of her life, except for seven years back in Geneva in the 1990s. Eldri earned a second Master’s degree in counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She moved to Lompoc, California, six years before her death.
Fluent in several languages and highly organized, Eldri enjoyed a broad range of professional experiences, including jobs as a scientific researcher, laboratory technician, science teacher at the high school and college levels (including teaching biology to prisoners), preschool teacher, administrator, bookkeeper, and accountant. She enjoyed reminiscing about her work as an administrative assistant at the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland, where her responsibilities included coordinating (and attending) international conferences in Australia, Cyprus, France, Russia, and Switzerland.
In her later years she worked as a counselor and certified massage technician specializing in therapy for sexual assault survivors. After the deaths of several significant people in her life, she became interested in issues of death and dying and taught a course on end-of-life counseling at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Among her many accomplishments, she played the violin since childhood and in recent years enjoyed playing in various community groups.
Described by her friends and family as a free spirit, Eldri enjoyed travel, nature, and camping. She explored a variety of religious faith traditions and practiced a daily meditation technique taught by her spiritual guide, Maharaji Prem Rawat. Deeply disturbed by all forms of violence, she felt that inner peace was the key to world peace. As a community activist for various causes, she showed solidarity for people who suffered from stereotyping and oppression. She will be remembered for her cheerful smile, enjoyment of life, and unwavering support for her family and friends.
Eldri is survived by her brother, Karl Jauch, and his wife, Danielle, in Challex, France; her sister, Aletha Solter, and her husband, Ken, in Goleta, California; her niece, Caroline Jauch (children: Eva and Marlon) in Geneva, Switzerland; her niece, Tamara Jauch Klein, and her husband, Philippe Klein, in Pougny, France (children: Maël, Thalia, and Bérénice); her nephew, Nicholas Solter, and his wife, Sonja, in Louisville, Colorado (children: Kai and Katja); her niece, Sarah Solter, and her husband, Aaron Bradley, in Boulder, Colorado; her cousin, Gunnar Jauch, in Zurich, Switzerland; and her cousin, Martin Jauch, and his wife, Monika, in Lucerne, Switzerland (children: Karin and Ralf). She will be deeply missed by her family and by hundreds of friends around the world.
A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, July 27, at the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 820 N. Fairview Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eldri Jauch’s name to the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center: P.O. Box 148, Lompoc, CA 93438 (www.sbcountyrapecrisis.org).