Alicia M. Saribalis

1958 - 2015

Alicia Mary Hodge Saribalis was born on August 11, 1958 in Jersey City, New Jersey, and died in her home in Mill Valley, California on March 13, 2015 after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Alicia was the personification of grace and all who knew and loved her admired her strength, intelligence and wisdom.

Her services will be held on March 27 at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon, California at 11:00am. Only her beloved canine companion, Weber Saribalis, precedes her in death. Alicia is survived by her husband Nick, daughter Joanna, son Stephen, parents Tom and Rita Hodge, sisters Beth and Meghan, and brother Tom.

The eldest of four children, Alicia grew up in a humble Irish Catholic home. She was blessed with a very sharp mind and a profound love for language. She applied these gifts in numerous ways, beginning with her first step into leadership as president of Morris Catholic senior class.

At the age of 21 Alicia decided to move to California in pursuit of higher education, professional success and sunshine. First settling in Walnut Creek for a short period, Alicia worked three jobs to pay her way through San Francisco State University where she majored in Business with a concentration in Marketing. In her senior year Alicia won a marketing competition sponsored by General Motors and was subsequently offered a career by Roger Smith (then CEO) in Detroit. Knowing that her aspirations called for a life in California, Alicia declined.

In the mid-1980's, Alicia earned her advertising stripes at BBDO. In 1986, she went on to work for Healey & Associates, which launched her fifteen-year career in sales; that included Computerworld, IDG and Ziff Davis. During those years she rose to the ranks of executive director as one of few women sitting in the boardroom.

Alicia met Nick Saribalis in 1981 at Saints Peter & Paul Church in San Francisco where she taught aerobics with a group of other women. They began dating in 1985 and were married in 1987. They had their first child, Stephen Nicholas, in 1988. Their daughter Joanna Rita followed in 1992. After years of juggling the responsibilities of a full-time career with mothering two small children, Alicia made the difficult decision to leave her professional career and follow her heart-to raise her children at home.

Alicia ultimately enjoyed the buzz of her children's lives as much if not more than the buzz of bustling Silicon Valley. It was during this time that Alicia embarked on a journey of self-discovery and actualization. She spent years devouring works of literature and philosophy from Plato and Aristotle to Jung, Nietzsche and the Saints. Her pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the meaning of life led her to reflect on the one she knew best, the life of a modern woman in Marin County, California.

Alicia pursued her natural gift of writing, launching a six-year serial in the network of local Marin newspapers called Desperately Marin Housewife using the nom de plume Elizabeth Hodge. The column shed light on life as a professionally minded mother with a highly satirical, quick-witted voice. It was a hit, and she received weekly fan mail until the final installment in 2011.

Alicia enjoyed giving back to her community. She was an active member of the Mt. Carmel parish, serving as a catechism teacher for several years and frequently volunteering for Women Helping All People (WHAP) in Marin City where she tutored underprivileged children. Alicia's passion for language, debate and writing never faltered-she graduated from the Buckley School of Public Speaking, returning to the school in her later years as an advocate, fundraiser and board member.

Alicia and her husband Nick spent most of their last ten years splitting time between their home in Mill Valley and their home in the small eastern shore town of Betterton, Maryland.

In her final years, some of her most profound experiences were her travels on safari to the Okavango Delta and the Loire Valley in France, with her husband Nick, as they enjoyed their newfound life of the parents of two smart, educated and successful children.

Alicia was a beautiful person, a loving wife and mother, a devoted daughter and sister, a loyal friend, an accomplished executive, a community leader and an erudite mind. Her wisdom lives in her written works and through the lives of her children. All those whose lives she touched will miss her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to one or both of these, Alicia's favorite organizations: The Most Precious Blood, Alicia's childhood church that has been restored and is now Betterton's town hall/museum. Donations will be used for the beautification and preservation of this wonderful church that meant so much to Alicia. Send donations to: BCDC c/o Alicia Saribalis Memorial/Preservation Fund, P.O. Box 152, Betterton, MD 21610. And: The Buckley School where Alicia was a graduate, advocate, fundraiser, and board member. Checks should be made payable to The Buckley School Foundation and earmarked for the Alicia Saribalis Forensic Scholarship. Send to: The Buckley School Foundation, PO Box 874, Camden, South Carolina, 29021, attention: Camilla Olano.