Frances Holdener Gualco

1922 - 2020

Frances Holdener Gualco
August 9, 1922 - December 19, 2020
Sacramento, California - She was always elegant. Frances H. Gualco passed away on December 19, 2020 at the age of 98. She was surrounded by her loving children and the warm thoughts of all who knew her. She was born on August 9, 1922 to immigrants from Switzerland, Frank and Caroline Holdener.
Frances, known as Fran, graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Business Administration. She returned home to work for then California Governor Earl Warren as his appointments secretary and served as the gateway to the Governor. As a result of that work, Fran was able to keep family Christmas gift lists secret through the use of her shorthand notations. 1945 was not only a turning point for the world with the Allies' victory in World War II, but was also the year she met the love of her life, (and she of his life), Reynold (Rennie) Gualco, who had recently returned from combat duty. Rennie was introduced to Fran in December 1945 by his sister Marian. Their courtship began immediately, followed by their wedding on October 19, 1946. A Santa Cruz beachfront home became an annual destination for Fran, Rennie, and their children's vacations for decades and Fran and Rennie enjoyed extensive world travel in their later years. Their 50-year marriage was an example of how respect and true love creates an extraordinary connection.
She excelled at cooking, baking, gardening, flower arranging, dinner parties, picnics, and sewed exquisite clothing from Vogue patterns. Fran had a wry sense of humor and was known for her one-line comments. She lived in her cherished home for 60 years, designed by architects Rickey and Brooks, which she stylishly decorated. Her immediate and extended families were the center of her life. She was a founding member of the Lawyer Wives of Sacramento. She and Rennie tutored children in reading at Jonas Salk Middle School for a number of years. Fran was a season ticket holder for the symphony, opera, the B Street Theater, Sacramento Theater Company and ACT theater in San Francisco and she was a member of and regularly attended exhibits at the Crocker Art Museum and the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco.
She is survived by her son, Jeffrey L. Gualco and wife Debbie, son Michael O. Gualco and wife Rex-Ann, daughter Lori J. Gualco and husband David Levin, grandchild Matthew Gualco and wife Sarah, great-grandchild Wyatt, grandchild Cara (Gualco) Nesbitt and husband Ross, great-grandchildren Maxwell and Harrison, and grandchildren Chloe Levin and Harris Levin, as well as by her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gene and Dorothy Gualco, sister-in-law Marilyn Gualco and many dear nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, 1605 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126-2202, in memory of Frances.