Gretchen Suzanne Coelho

Gretchen, 83, passed away peacefully on October 29 surrounded by family. A devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, friend, and volunteer, she will be deeply missed by her loved ones and the broader San Jose community.

Gretchen was born in Washington state and spent most of her childhood in Cloverdale, CA. She graduated from Cloverdale High School in 1959 and attended San Diego State and San Francisco State. Her professional career included roles at Lockheed and Micro Media Systems, and she spent the final two decades of her career in the Neurosurgery Department at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

For 18 years, she was an active member of the Almaden Valley Women's Club for which she served as President and Art & Wine Festival Chair and was recognized as Volunteer of the Year. During retirement, she volunteered for over 25 years with the Assistance League of San Jose(ALSJ). Although Gretchen served in many leadership roles like President and Education Chair, one of her favorite activities was reading to third graders each month.

A voracious reader with a quick wit, Gretchen savored a good book, playing Scrabble with her late husband Bob, completing Super Quiz and crosswords in the newspaper, and competing in Pinochle tournaments with her siblings. She loved to travel and attend Broadway musicals, especially with her loved ones. For over 40 years, she enjoyed monthly dinners with her and Bob's gourmet group, and in more recent years she delighted in "lunch bunch" outings and weekly gatherings with close friends.

Gretchen and Bob met through mutual friends, married in 1965, and established their family home in Almaden Valley in 1977. She and Bob were steadfast in supporting their children and grandchildren at countless sporting events, performances, and school programs. Gretchen was known for her beautifully decorated house over the holidays where she gathered her family for Christmas and Easter celebrations.

Gretchen is survived by her son Rob (Jennifer), daughter Erin Blodgett (Bill), son Darren (Mariza), 10 grandchildren (Jared, Matthew, Michael, Samantha, Alyssa, Jack, Maddie, Sean, Seth, Sami), brother Tom Collingwood (Karin), and sister Barbara Bicocca (Vince). In Heaven, Gretchen joins Bob, her parents (Marge, Tom)and her brother Rick.

A Celebration of Life will be at Stone Church of Willow Glen, 1937 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, on Sunday, November30, at 1PM. A reception will follow at a location to be shared at the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Gretchen's memory to the ALSJ at assistanceleague.org or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at give.bcrf.org.