Obituary of Anna Mary Seliskar

Having been diagnosed the day after Christmas 2018 with cancer, Anna has died, but continues to live in Christ and everyone who knew her.

Anna and her brother John were born in Austria soon after her parents Alojz and Ivana had fled Slovenia as political refugees following World War II. Her parents were poor but hardworking farmers. They were brought to America by Dr. Stephen P. Erlach to manage and work his farm off Soquel Drive in Soquel, California.

Then the Seliskar family grew to include three more young brothers. The family would soon go on to buy farmland of their own, and work their own land and parcels owned by others.

Anna attended Cabrillo College and graduated from San Jose State University in 1969. She earned her Elementary Teaching Credential in 1970. She taught second and third grade at Santa Cruz Gardens School and Soquel Elementary. She loved sharing fine children’s literature and nature studies with her students. Anna taught for 40 years. Her teaching methods were academically sound, but it was really the warmth of personality that was the secret to her success as a teacher.

Her many friends included her former students and their parents, fellow teachers, players in her tennis community, people of the Catholic Church, relatives and members of the local community. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for 69 years.

She is survived by many relatives; brother John and his late wife Susan, Alois (Al), Stephen and his wife Andrea, and Anthony (Tony).

She is also survived by John’s three children- Janez and his wife Lisa and their four children, Yousif and has wife and their seven children, and Mateja and her husband Jonathan (Brown).;

She has also been fortunate to have her faithful and longtime friend Daniel Slick, with whom she especially loved to take nature walks in the redwoods, in local parks, on sandy beaches, and coastal bluffs.

She loved growing and arranging flowers and observing local bird life. She saw the beauty of nature everywhere.

The family wishes to express much gratitude to her many caregivers. The people at Soquel Leisure Villa, and the entire Hospice team.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 435 Monterey Ave, Capitola, CA 95010 or to Hospice of Santa Cruz, Ca.

Sadly, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private family funeral mass and burial at Holy Cross Cemetery has already taken place.