Alice V. Chetkovich
Jan. 21, 1920 - Jul. 19, 2018 Resident of Santa Cruz
A private committal service is planned for Alice Virginia Chetkovich, who passed away peacefully in Santa Cruz at the age of 98. A woman of grace and generosity, she enriched the lives of countless others, including her family and many friends and associates.
Alice was born in Akron, Ohio, to Albert Roosma, the son of recent Dutch immigrants, and Ethel May McColgan, a descendant of early Ohio pioneers. As her father pursued his career with Republic Steel, the family moved often, and Alice’s openness and warmth enabled her to develop strong connections wherever she went. She attended Lake Erie College and the College of Wooster, then came on her own to San Francisco after World War II, where she found work as a personnel administrator. In 1947, she married Michael Chetkovich, a Navy veteran and CPA with the firm of Haskins & Sells, which later merged with Deloitte. The couple were married for over 50 years.
After the birth of their second child, the couple moved from their tiny city apartment to a home in Palo Alto, where they had two more children and resided for many years. During this time, Alice was an active parishioner at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and a member of the Women’s Auxiliary to the Stanford Convalescent Hospital, among many community associations in which she made life-long friendships. An accomplished seamstress and clothing designer, she also taught sewing classes at a community center in East Palo Alto.
Alice and Michael and their two youngest children moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1967, when Michael was preparing to assume leadership of the firm of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. In addition to accompanying her husband on frequent business travel around the world, Alice became an active member of her new community, participating in local organizations and again making strong friendships. Among the organizations to which she was particularly devoted was the Carver Center of Port Chester, New York, which provided critical services to local children and families.
When Michael Chetkovich retired from Deloitte in 1978, he and Alice returned to their beloved Bay Area, residing in Atherton until Michael’s death in 1998. Alice renewed long-time friendships and continued her community service, joining the parish of Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park, participating in a spiritual healing prayer group, and preparing meals for those in need. Alice continued to live in Atherton for several years after Michael’s death. In 2005, she moved to an apartment at a local Hyatt Residence (now Vi). In 2010 she celebrated her 90th birthday with a large gathering of family and friends at the Village Pub in Woodside. Notes from friends collected for that occasion highlight their appreciation for her warmth, energy, and positive spirit.
In her 90s, Alice’s health declined, and she moved first to live with her son John’s family in Southern California, and eventually to an assisted living facility in Santa Cruz, where her daughter Kathryn and son Mark reside with their spouses. She continued to enjoy regular visits with her children and with long-time friends, and even as her own capacities waned, she inspired devotion among those who only got to know her at the end of her life. She will be deeply missed, but those who knew her are grateful for the experience.
Alice is survived by her sons John Chetkovich of Newbury Park and Mark Chetkovich of Santa Cruz; also her daughters Carol Chetkovich of Oakland and Kathryn Chetkovich of Santa Cruz, and her two granddaughters, Allyson and Madeline. In keeping with Alice Chetkovich’s commitment to social justice and equality, her family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to the Western Center on Law & Poverty.