Obituary of Sara Vallely Culley

Sara Kathryn Vallely Culley Our beloved mother flew from this earth to the peace beyond on June 7, 2011, her 75th birthday, at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA after a short illness. She spent the last weeks of her life surrounded by her loving family and friends who came to be with her from all over the country. Sara Kathryn Vallely was born on June 7, 1936 in the small town of DuBois in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania as the eldest of six children to Mary Kathleen Fridley Vallely and Eugene Dominic (Tom/Shag) Vallely. She attended grades 1-12 and graduated from St. Catherine's Catholic School in DuBois in 1954. She earned her BS as a Registered Nurse from St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing in Erie, PA in 1958. While a student, she met and married her husband of 35 years, Harry David Culley. Though they grew up in the same small town, they met for the first time at 19 one Friday night at the DuBois Polaski Club when Dave asked the dark-haired, green-eyed beauty to dance. After marrying in 1957 and finishing college, Sara and Dave and their two young daughters moved to California in 1962 for Dave's new job with Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View. They were just "two mountain kids" then and enjoyed experiencing that exciting time in the Bay Area. They drove through the Haight as tourists one Sunday afternoon and giggled at the naked hippies in the fountain. After adding two more baby girls to the family, they built one of the early houses in the Almaden Country Club neighborhood in 1965. They enjoyed visiting Carmel, Nepenthe in Big Sur and the clubs of North Beach in the heyday 60's. Sara even endured with good humor a 7-week camping trip in the summer of 1967 through the western US national parks with all four girls aged 2-9, Dave and the family cat in a tiny Scottie trailer pulled by the lemon-yellow station wagon. In late 1967, the family moved back to Auburn NY for Dave's new job with GE Electrical Products Division. Several more moves followed with GE to Gainesville, FL, Auburn NY for a second time, Lancaster, OH, Radnor, PA and Hilton Head Island, SC where Sara lived for 28 years, her heart's true home. There she cherished the marshes and evenings spent on the beach watching the Brown Pelicans glide along the wave tops to their nests for the night. She tossed her crab pots in the back yard lagoon, chased snakes from the house with a golf club, helped save a baby sea turtle, and kept track of the gator that lived in the pond out back. She usually had her sweet Springer Spaniel Gus by her side. As a beautiful and fun young mother, Sara regularly rocked a hot pink string bikini at the Gainesville FL Country Club pool. Even the college-boy lifeguards stared. She had the look and style of Jackie Onassis with a good measure of Liz Taylor's figure thrown in. She was a rare mom, loving and warm, but without much need for control. She was no helicopter mom, letting the little kids drive the golf cart to the pool, ride the horses all over town and adopt all manner of stray animals, a few giving birth in our closets. Our house was a welcoming hangout and refuge for all the kids in our circles over the years and she only threatened the wooden spoon when the teenagers got too out of line. We owe her for our independent spirits and strength. Mom worked for 35 years at a number of hospitals across the country including several university teaching programs, as a nurse of uncommon talent and compassion. She was certified as a Cardiac Surgical Nurse (CSC) in 1975. She gave tirelessly of herself to every patient, friend and family member who became ill. She was the fiercest advocate and most caring presence a person could hope to have on their side in any medical crisis, and her patients loved her. Once while working at the University of Florida Medical Center, she cared for "Tarzan" after he incurred terrible burns on a local movie set. After a very long stay under her care in the ICU, he made a special trip back to town just to introduce her to his best friend, a full grown Bengal Tiger that was sitting outside in his red convertible. Tigers were mom's favorite animal and this was a remarkable moment for her. She was extremely intelligent and well-read, enjoying the NYT every day as well as literature from Sanborn mysteries to English romances. She was a vision at the Opera in her great grandmother Sara Graham's black velvet gown. As an active democrat, she enjoyed spirited conversations about politics and culture. She was a charming dinner guest and hostess over the years, entertaining for any number with ease. Everyone felt comfortable in her beautiful homes and at her table. Her delectable cream cheese pie was always a special treat. Sara traveled to the beautiful corners of the world. She enjoyed staying at the George V Paris, the Regent Hong Kong, in tiny diving motels in the Caribbean and in quaint B&Bs in her family's homeland of Ireland. She collected treasures from these trips, including antique blue & white English china, Irish linens and corals. Sara retired from nursing in 1995 after spending 15 years treating in-home cancer patients on Hilton Head. She moved to Scotts Valley, CA in 2008 to live with family, still traveling often to Florida and New Jersey to spend time with her grandchildren whom she adored. She attended Pilates classes, joined friends and family for evenings on the town and worked her magic on the flowers in the garden. Mom's special job was feeding lunch to the horses and helping the Ferrier. She tried with limited success to assist her daughters with their decorating challenges. She was especially thrilled with the Great Horned Owl living in daughter Mary's back yard and sat out late one recent full moon night listening as it called to a mate. On one special long weekend, her four daughters took her to Carmel to celebrate her 70th birthday in style. Sara is survived by her four daughters, Cindy (Vince) DiMassimo of Summit, NJ, Sara (Lyndon Ludford) Culley of Scotts Valley, CA, Mary (Scott Smith) Culley of Santa Cruz, CA and Beth (Brett) Oltman of Panama City Beach, FL; her four siblings, Ann Davenport of Los Lunas, NM, Kathy Vallely of Pittsburgh, PA, Theresa Lugar of NY, NY and Jimmy Vallely of DuBois, PA; her five grandchildren, Jack and Sara DiMassimo, Ruby Ludford, Mary Grace and Sadie Oltman; her former husband, Dave Culley of Panama City Beach, FL; numerous nieces and nephews and many loving friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Tom and Kathleen Vallely and her dear brother Eugene Vallely. Cremation arrangements are being handled by Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens in Santa Cruz, CA. A Celebration of Life will be held in late September in Summit, NJ. Private family services will be held in Big Sur and Hilton Head. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred in honor of Sara Culley to Hospice of Santa Cruz County at 940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 or online at www.hospicesantacruz.org/donate, or to Hilton Head Island Audubon Society, PO BOX 6185, HH, SC 29938. We will cherish Sara and keep her life and stories alive in our hearts. She will be deeply missed and loved forever.