Santa Cruz

Gabrielle Stocker passed away peacefully in Santa Cruz on June 23, 2025. Gabrielle was born in 1935 to Mary Anne and Frederick Stocker in Lucerne, Switzerland along with Maya and Evelyn, her elder and younger sisters, all of whom loved music. They immigrated to the US in 1941 and settled in Durham, North Carolina where her father worked as an eye doctor and taught at Duke University.

Gabrielle earned a BS in Biochemical Sciences from Radcliffe College and married fellow Harvard graduate, George Bouchard. They moved to Seattle, where Gabrielle was a medical research technician at University of Washington and continued her study of mathematics while George pursued graduate studies in chemistry. This is where Gabrielle discovered the joy of hiking and mountaineering, summiting numerous glaciated peaks including Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, when it was still whole! She also began playing Renaissance music in a recorder consort. In 1959 they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where their daughter Carol was born. The family moved to Ithaca, New York in 1962 where George continued his graduate studies at Cornell University, and their son Andrew was born. Gabrielle continued to study mathematics and computer programming and played regularly in recorder ensembles.

In 1968 the family moved out west to San Jose, California where Gabrielle earned her Secondary Teaching Credential in Mathematics from SJSU and became immersed in playing Renaissance and Baroque music as well as coaching ensembles.

After Gabrielle and George divorced in 1973, Gabrielle moved to Santa Cruz in 1976 and knew immediately she wanted to spend the rest of her life in this beautiful seaside town with its rich cultural environment. Besides substitute teaching, Gabrielle began teaching recorder ensembles privately and at local community colleges. She delighted in performing on recorders, crumhorns, and viola da gamba with the Antiquarian Funks.

Fulfilling along held dream, Gabrielle earned a BA degree in Music at UCSC in 1982. She then earned a Teacher’s Certificate in the Orff Schulwerk approach to music instruction and taught music and recorder privately and in local schools until 2004. As a UCSC music student Gabrielle discovered the joys of singing, and gradually her musical focus shifted from instrumental to vocal music. She sang in the UCSC Chorus, Cabrillo Concert Choir, Choral Project, Santa Cruz Renaissance Singers, and finally the Santa Cruz Chorale.

In Santa Cruz Gabrielle resumed her earlier interest in hiking, backpacking, and studying natural history. As an enthusiastic volunteer docent at Natural Bridges State Beach since 1997, she shared her love of the local plants and animals, emphasizing Monarch butterflies and intertidal sea life.

In addition to many students and friends, Gabrielle is survived by her daughter, Carol Bouchard (David Perez), son Andrew Bouchard (Rina Oesman), granddaughters Erin Hogeboom (Amy Kuhn), Ananda and Adinda Bouchard, and great grandchild, Juneau Hogeboom. She was predeceased by her parents and her sisters, Maya Powell and Evelyn Daly, and half brother Erik Meili.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date. To honor Gabrielle’s support of the environment and musical arts, donations may be made to the Santa Cruz Chorale, or environmental or arts organization of your choice.