Toni D. Rustebakke

RUSTEBAKKE - Toni Aaron Rustebakke, 80, born August 12, 1929 and passed away December 21, 2009. She grew up in various oilfields in Texas. In January 1942 the family moved to El Dorado, Arkansas where she finished high school in 1946. She attended TSCW and North Texas State, both in Denton, Texas. In 1950 she started work as a stewardess for Braniff Airways. In 1951 she transferred to the reservation office in Chicago which she loved. In Chicago she met and married Allan Aaron and they started their family. In 1957 they moved to Albuquerque and had 2 more children. She was active in the Crafts Council and exhibited her mosaics in craft shows. In 1967 she was divorced and started a new life. She taught yoga and for a time was president of the Yoga Academy which led to training in Bioenergetics and Gestalt Therapy. In 1971 she began her week as a group therapist at the VAMC. For the next 10 years she worked in the Alcohol Program. In 1980 she married her best friend "Rusty" Rustebakke. The best thing she ever did, she used to say. They lived in Northern California for awhile during which time she went to Europe by herself with a backpack for 5 months. In 1986 they moved to Rockport, Texas and bought an old house that she remodeled and ran as a Bed & Breakfast until she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1990. She made a full recovery but the experience decided them to go home to Albuquerque. They built a house in Corrales with a wonderful view and landscaped it as an oasis. She spent a lot of time learning ancient history of the Middle East and studying Biblical exegesis. She became ill in 1998 till 1999. Rusty took care of her with kindness and devotion. She is survived by Rusty; her daughter Laurel of Jeddito, Arizona; her son Adam and his wife, Debbie, and grandsons Levi and Weston of Houston; her sons Michael and Matthew of Sydney, Australia and their wives, Danuta and Milli; her stepdaughter Siri Rustebakke; stepson Leif and wife, Carolyn of Rio Rancho; her Australian grandchildren are Daniel and David Aaron, and Beth and Brianna Aaron, and her brother Tom Davis and his wife JoAnn. She is also survived by her dear friends Marjorie Jannotta and Jaffa Waldberg. Cremation has taken place. Written by Toni July 10, 1999. Toni's care has been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services 2400 Southern Blvd SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124 (505) 891-9192