Nancy Sallaberry

After a courageous, nearly eight-year battle with ALS, Menlo Park resident Nancy Sallaberry passed peacefully in her home on December 18, 2022. Her devoted husband of 38 years Paul Sallaberry; her three sons Marc, Luc, and Daniel Sallaberry; daughter-in-law Brittany Sallaberry, and grandson Chase, were by her side.

Nancy is survived by her three treasured siblings: brother Ron Williams and his wife Joyce; sister Victoria Evans; and brother Reese Williams and his wife Fran. Nancy also was the beloved sister-in-law of Denise Sallaberry and her husband Peter Wilk, and Jack Sallaberry and his wife Sue, as well as a wonderful aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Nancy was born in Marin County in 1955 to the late Reese and Marge Williams; the family later moved to Saratoga, Calif. where Nancy and her siblings grew up. At Saratoga High School Nancy excelled at five sports, reigned as homecoming queen, and made dear, lifelong friends.  She then attended the University of California, Davis, where she played intercollegiate volleyball and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics, complementing her already outstanding culinary skills.  It was at UC-Davis that she met Paul.

Nancy worked for several years in the tech industry at Triad Systems, but she found her true calling as a mother. She was devoted to her three sons and a tireless volunteer in their school and sports programs. Nancy preferred to work behind the scenes, and she was an unsung hero bringing creativity, attention to detail, and 110% effort to any project aimed at enriching an experience for young people in the community.

Nancy also had a lifelong passion for sports and the outdoors. She was a proud and devoted soccer mom, a faithful Giants fan, and a gifted tennis player whose senior doubles team twice reached the USTA’s National Finals. She delighted in fishing and enjoying nature with her boys in Northern California mountain areas such as the Trinity Alps and Hat Creek.

Nancy’s gentle and understanding nature, her deep loyalty, her lively sense of humor, and her sparkling smile were a gift to everyone she knew.  She found so many ways to show love to family and friends, whether with a wonderful meal, a supportive shoulder, the perfect gift, or a wry practical joke.  Not only did Nancy navigate ALS with great dignity, she became a trusted friend and resource to others newly diagnosed with the condition. There is a celebration of Nancy’s life planned for the spring.  The family respectfully requests that anyone interested in honoring Nancy consider a gift to Augie’s Quest, a foundation dedicated to supporting research to cure ALS (https://give.augiesquest.org/NancySallaberry).