Molly Westrate

Molly Bill Westrate Resident of Menlo Park Whether she was driving sports cars on racetracks in Europe, shopping for the perfect native textile in Asia, or creating a culinary masterpiece for friends at home, Molly Westrate enjoyed a life filled with style, fun, integrity, and good food. Molly succumbed to cancer on April 30, 2013. She will be remembered for her wit, charm, design savvy, culinary skills, loyalty, energy, commitment to goodness, and the love she lavished on her friends and family. Mary Andrea Bill was born February 9, 1945 to John and Kathryn Bill in Los Angeles and grew up in Santa Barbara. After graduating from the University of San Diego with a degree in music she moved to San Francisco where she received her teaching credential at SF State and taught in San Francisco and San Mateo. While in San Francisco, she met Stephen Westrate and the couple married in 1971. They moved to Portola Valley in 1973 where they lived for 22 years then moved to Woodside in 1995, and finally to Menlo Park in 2005. In 1985, she earned her real estate license and became an agent with Cornish & Carey in Portola Valley, and later with Coldwell Banker in Woodside, where she specialized in country properties. Outside of the office, Molly's interests were as diverse as her tastes. In her youth, she rode horses in the Santa Barbara hills and sailed with cousins in San Diego. As a young mother, she practiced ceramics and performed classical duo-piano pieces with friends. Later in life, she enjoyed collecting fine art and traveling with the Contemporary Collector's Circle of the Cantor Center, visiting new places, quilting, and enjoying her Asian-inspired garden. She always tried to create beauty, simplicity, and good design by bringing nature's sculpture, branches, weeds, into the home. When reflecting on her world travels, Molly punctuated her description of the regions with detailed reports of the food, which was another of her passions. She spent a lifetime cultivating an extensive collection of gourmet recipes and culinary delights, which she took every opportunity to prepare for family and friends. Molly is survived by her husband, Steve in Menlo Park; Erika and Clint Sattler and their children Gage and Ciel in Colorado; Blake and Warisa Westrate, and his daughter, Zoey in San Francisco; and Molly's sister, Judy Bianchi, of Sebastopol. There will be a Mass of Resurrection on Saturday, May 18th at the Chapel at the Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley followed by a celebration of Molly's life at the Priory's Founders Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to your charity of choice or to The Canary Foundation, 1501 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304 (www.canaryfoundation.org) that is funding research into early detection of ovarian cancer.