Alicia Ines Gelabert

Alicia was born and raised in Buenos Aries, Argentina the first daughter of Carmen and Manuel Gelabert. She did her growing up during very politically turbulent times in Argentina. Despite these dire times she subsequently graduated from Pueyrredon University in Buenos Aries with a degree in fine arts.

The late 70’s in Argentina was a period of political state terrorism in which military and state security forces conducted urban and rural guerrilla warfare against their own citizens. Death squads were common. Alicia found herself a possible subject for arrest, or worse, for her antigovernment beliefs and academic affiliations. Her father, sensing her danger, sent her to the United States to live with a relative in Burbank CA and thus began her new life in a new country with little money, few friends and fledgling English skills.

After migrating to Burbank she relocated to the San Francisco South Bay and worked many part time and temporary jobs as she pursued her Masters Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from UC Berkley. After she graduated from Berkley, she interned at Stanford University.

Alicia lived in many different locations including Buenos Aries, Paris, France and Palo Alto before settling in Salinas in the mid 90’s. It was while in Salinas that she met and married her husband Bob. They had a storybook romance which included being married on a tropical beach in Maui. After the honeymoon Alicia founded and managed a successful vocational rehabilitation counseling firm which she continued until she retired in 2012.

Alicia’s beauty, a smile that would light up a room, a natural grace and consummate consideration for others made anyone who met her feel as though they had made a friend for life. Alicia was one in a million and will be greatly missed and long remembered by all who had the good fortune to know her.

Survivors include her husband, Bob, her sister, Lily, and her father Manuel. She also leaves a legion of friends notably in Buenos Aries, Salinas and the SF/Monterey Bay Area.

A celebration of Alicia’s life followed by a reception will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, December 7th at the Paul Mortuary in Pacific Grove CA. Burial will be held in private. Relatives and friends are welcome at the Celebration and Reception.