Sally A. Houck

I suspect you already know that Sally Houck was a beam of love, joy, and some mischief. There could never have been enough time with her. She graced us from May 3, 1955, to March 17, 2025. Sally fought absurdly hard for more time with us, ever striving to reach her 70th birthday and 50th wedding anniversary slated for later in 2025. While she physically departed before those milestones, we continue to feel her in the spring blossoms and naughty squirrels that are still with us. Sally is survived by her husband, Don; daughters: Lindsey, Whitney, and Mackenzie; incredibly-loved grandchildren: Hunter, Wiley, Scout, Winter, Kinsey, and Orion; sons-in-law William and Rob; siblings: Mary, Billy, and Tommy; and many nieces and nephews who felt her love from coast to coast.
Sally was born in San Francisco, California, to her dear parents, Mary and Bill. One small sweetness in her passing is that she can now get more time with her beloved dad. Sally joyfully reminisced about her mom pushing a baby pram up Lombard Street before the family made its home below Mt. Tam. She had a one-of-a-kind bond (and special laugh reserved for) her sister and was fiercely loving of her brothers. Sally seemed to have more fun as a teen in Sausalito than I have ever had in my life and attended the most epic concerts, including the Beatles with her dad and Boz Scaggs with her sister.
Sally left California for Oregon State University and soon found herself smitten with an Oregon native, Don Houck. After a summer of letters from Salem to the Bay, she married Don at the tender age of 20. They honeymooned in Lincoln City before the semester started, with Sally insisting on a fun hotel or two before settling into the Houck beach house that grew into one of her favorite places on Earth. Sally enjoyed the camping and backpacking she and Don did as a young couple and the many close friends they had during this time. She held the era that her brother Tommy lived with them as a cherished period of her life.
Sally then began one of her most closely held roles: she became a mother. It was a main goal in her life and she performed it exceptionally well. In hearing of her passing, multiple friends shared that they saw Sally as the epitome of Mom Goals: devoted, loving, thoughtful, present. No matter where I lived, I knew I could call her at any hour and she would listen and gently remind me to do yoga, take a walk, and enjoy the sunset. She was a constant counselor and confidante to us. It's the greatest gift of my life that she loved us unconditionally and modeled how to love our own families and people. Sally filled our childhoods with love notes in our lunchboxes, annual trips to Orcas Island, memorable visits to Aunt Mary and the Oregon Coast, and absolutely no room to doubt that she loved us with everything she had. She chaperoned our field trips, drove us to volleyball and soccer games, and looked out for us relentlessly. Lucky for us, Sally was also the best grandma and held this title for 28 years. From every band concert to sending snack boxes up to college, Sally showered her grandkids with her unwavering love.
While she loved her family fervently, she also held deeply meaningful long term friendships. Her bonds with women from her younger years, playground days, and so many classrooms did not end. It was beautiful and not surprising to see Pam and Marilyn caring for Sally and her family through every turn her life took. Sally was rich in friends supporting her be it through birthday lunches or chemotherapy. The kind words have poured in from so many people whose lives she made better and who equally enriched her own.
Sally was indisputably devoted to her family but her gifts were not confined to the home. Sally also spent decades working for the Evergreen School District, starting as a playground aide and followed by years supporting preschoolers with disabilities. Sally loved her students deeply and often cried when she needed to say goodbye at the end of the year. She was a constant advocate for school funding, strong unions, bubbles whenever possible, and wearing festive holiday jewelry and socks. She had an irreplicable impact on so very many children and adults.
Sally had an unmatched zest for life. She and Don enjoyed innumerable tours birding around Steigerwald and Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuges. Sally became adept at identifying birds by call, spotting them, and convincing someone to accompany her to where there had been a promising sighting per the Audubon app. She found more joy than most in completing a Starbucks challenge, getting a limited edition sticker from Dutch Bros, snagging a super bargain, and snuggling up to watch Survivor or the Bachelor with Lindsey and a grandkid. She loved stained glass, Orcas Island pottery, the color blue, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Michael Allen Harrison. She worked hard to understand herself and her loved ones and continued to grow and evolve along with us. She was thoughtfully cautious but without limit of what she believed others could accomplish. She loved life and, despite the relentless unfairness of cancer, would have given you a long list of the things for which she was grateful.
I wish we had so many more lifetimes with our sweet and fiery Sally Ann. While this part of our life together is over, may we all take forward the love and joy she shared with each of us.