Natalie Gamba

1961 - 2025

On the evening of September 18, 2025, Natalie Kay Gamba lost her battle with cancer while in the comfort of her home, surrounded by close loved ones. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Matthew Gamba; and her 29-year-old daughter, Jennifer Gamba. She is predeceased by her parents, Carol Strief and James Strief; sisters, Julia Timms and Valerie Daniels; and her brother, Kevin Strief.
Natalie was born on December 12, 1961, in Goldsboro, NC, to an Air Force family that moved around frequently during her childhood and early adolescence. She lived in many states. and even in Japan for a time. Her father settled in Petaluma to be close to family when he retired after 20 years of service, and at that time, Natalie entered Jr. High at Kenilworth. Following Kenilworth, she attended Casa Grande High School, though her passion was with the FFA program she participated in with Petaluma High. As a member of FFA (Future Farmers of America), she showed sheep at the local county fair and began her lifelong involvement in the Sonoma County agricultural community. This she furthered this by accepting her first job at age 16 with Bud's Custom Meats, working for Lloyd Gamba, and alongside Marcy Gamba. (Little did she know that one day she would be their in-law.).
After graduating high school, Natalie spent her young adult years working around the local area, where she met her lifelong mentor Kathleen Doyle and discovered an affinity for accounting and organization. A bit more time went by, and she reconnected with Lloyd and Marcy's son, Matt Gamba, and the two allowed their friendship to deepen into something more. On January 20, 1990, after a few years of dating, they were married in a winter ceremony in Lake Tahoe, which forever remained one of their favorite places to spend time together.
Their 1st and only child, Jennifer, arrived on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1995; Natalie, of course, spent the rest of her life making sure her daughter had special birthdays that were not to be overshadowed by Christmas.
During those early years, Natalie worked for Milepost Inn, traveling cross-country with railroad work crews as an accommodations manager and commanding great respect for her attentiveness, aptitude, and proficiency. While Jennifer was young, Natalie transitioned to a local position at Sunrise Farms, where she enjoyed working for 25 years, many of those with her sister Julia working alongside her.
Even while working full-time, Natalie was 100% involved in her daughter's activities. This led her to being a parent volunteer in Live Oak 4-H, supporting the officer council for years, and becoming the leader for the club's cooking project. When Jennifer was in 4th grade, Natalie encouraged her daughter to show sheep, as she had done in high school, and Natalie became an instrumental sponsor of the Born and Bred [agricultural] show at the Sonoma County Fair. When Jennifer entered high school, Natalie became a band mom following her daughter and the Petaluma High Marching band to almost every concert and parade they participated in (a lot) (and, of course, driving the drum-line group to many competitions, often hauling a full Tahoe of high-schoolers).
When Jennifer left home to attend UC Davis, and later Boston College in Massachusetts, Natalie shifted focus to her love of traveling and spending time with other family and friends. She went on many cruises around the world, and, as well, enjoyed multiple trips a year to Disneyland with Julie (prior to her passing) and other friends and family. She had a love for golfing and began playing more, hoping and cooking big dinners for those she was close with, and, often with the same friends, shopping any opportunity she got.
She loved this time in her life as she expanded her friend group and enjoyed adult fun, [after she retired from Sunrise Farms in 2022], though Matt eventually got her involved more & more in the family business, Bud's Custom Meats, and once again she had a work life.
In April of 2025, Natalie and family received news that the cancer she had been battling on and off for 15 years had come back, and this time, surgery could not prolong her life much longer. She was willing to do any procedure that might give her even a bit more time with those she loved most, and she remained strong and stubborn through the end. Everyone, especially her doctor, who had been with her since the beginning, all those (15) years ago, were in awe of her ability to approach the end with acceptance and serenity. Throughout her last days, and because her devotion to friends was answered in like, she was consistently given quiet companionship, gentle, necessary attention to all her needs, the nurturing love of those with whom she was closest, and she was able to pass peacefully and without pain.
The family would be honored to have your attendance a service to honor Natalie's life on October 19th at 11:30 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Memorial Park, 1700 Pleasant Hill Rd in Sebastopol.
Celebration of life to follow from 1 to 5 p.m. at Friedman's Event Center, 4676 Mayette Ave, Santa Rosa.