Sally Todd Gneiser

1938 - 2018

Sally Todd Gneiser

Fond du Lac - Sally Todd Gneiser, 80, formerly of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, died peacefully on April 3, 2018, in Peoria, Arizona. Sally is preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Jerry Gneiser, and survived by her sons: David (& Lorrie) of Fairborn, OH; Doug (& Mary) of Hermosa Beach, CA; and Joe (& Dawn) of Greensboro, NC. She also leaves behind seven adored grandchildren: Drew, Sarah (& Jacob Baranski), Emily, Ryan (& Morgan), Erin (& Donald Seedes), Audrey, and Ben. She has three wonderful great-grandchildren: Fletcher, Dillon, and Hazel. She also has many nieces and nephews that were special to her and Jerry.

Sally was born on March 9, 1938, in San Antonio, TX, the daughter of the late Lieutenant General Walter E. Todd (USAF) and the late Mrs. Virginia (Price) Todd. Her sole sibling is Kathy (Todd) Espey of Albuquerque, NM.

Growing up in a military family, Sally's family lived all over the world including Russia, Japan, California, and Washington, D.C. It was during a wedding reception in D.C. that she met Jerry. She was 19 years old and he was a dashing Lieutenant in his Marine Corps uniform. Both were instantly smitten. On August 16, 1958, they married at the Ft. Myer Old Chapel in Arlington, VA, beginning a tradition that her son Joe and her granddaughter Erin followed in the same chapel. Sally's love for her country and patriotism was passed to her three sons who each served as commissioned officers. Sally took great pride in their military service and accomplishments.

Jerry and Sally raised their family in Jerry's hometown of Fond du Lac, WI. After her boys left for college, Sally focused on her passions: cooking (she returned to Moraine Park Technical College to get her culinary degree), serving as the Agnesian Hospice Hope volunteer coordinator for many years, as a lead couple with Jerry in Marriage Encounter impacting many couples from the area surrounding FdL, the FdL Running Club, PEO, St. Patrick Church, gardening, knitting, hiking, and walking her golden retriever Charlie.

Sally was known for her passion for running, swimming, and biking. Her first run at the age of 40 - to the end of the driveway - jump-started her journey as a competitor in 10Ks and half-marathons. She then jumped on a bike and added swimming to her training and won triathlons for her age group throughout the US. At 55, Sally became a member of the U.S. National Triathlon Team and finished 13th at the 1993 World Championship in Australia.

A diagnosis of Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a variant of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, cut short Sally's athletic endeavors. As Sally slowed from running to walking to using a walker and finally to a wheelchair, one would never hear her complain about each of those changes.

As befits her competitive and generous spirit, Sally's final race started minutes after her death, when her body was taken to an Arizona research institute that had been studying her PLS symptoms for many years. Sally hoped research on her body might help identify the causes of PLS, ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.

The family is grateful for the compassionate, personal attention of the Sierra Winds staff and the Health Center team. We are also thankful for the Hospice of the West staff, particularly Brooke's thoughtful care of our Mom. Sally was blessed by the special care and dedication of Jamie, and special friends Truman & Joanne & Mariann - their loving care allowed her the independence to continue living in the Sierra Winds' community much longer than all expected.

On Sunday, August 12, 2018, an event celebrating Sally's life will be at Fond du Lac Lakeside Park's South Oven Island Shelter from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sally's name can be sent to: The ALS Association Arizona Chapter, 360 E. Coronado Rd., Suite 140, Phoenix, AZ 85004, or www.alsaz.org; or Agnesian Healthcare Hospice Hope, 239 Trowbridge Dr., Fond du Lac, WI 54937 or https://www.agnesian.com/page/support-foundation.