Roberta Ann Salisbury

Roberta Ann (Carlitz) Salisbury (“Bird,” “Berti,” “Bobbi,” “Berta”, “Bert”) of San Francisco passed away peacefully at age 86 on Thursday, March 17, 2020, after a brief battle with MCD. Berta was born on May 11, 1933, in Llanerch, Pennsylvania to Theodore and Jean Marie Carlitz. Her family later relocated to San Francisco, where she graduated from Mission High School in 1951. Berta fully embraced her life in The City and was a “City Gal” through and through.

She was particularly proud of her 30+ year career at Wells Fargo, where she worked her way up from teller and served at various locations throughout San Francisco. To spend even more time with her Godchildren, whom she so adored, Berta began volunteering in the nursery at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alameda, where she continued caring for children for the next 36 years. She was an early member of the Art Deco Society and never missed a Gatsby Summer Afternoon.

Ever the social butterfly, she enjoyed entertaining in her Outer Sunset home, most famously known for her annual St. Patrick’s Day Party, which brought together the many friends she’d made over the years. She loved surrounding herself with the warmth and laughter of the friends that she so cherished. Berta was a vibrant, independent woman who lived her life to its fullest, and she will be sorely missed.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews Elaine (John) Carlitz, Steve (Carol) Carlitz, Chris Acosta, Jenny (Keith) Thatcher and John (Cathleen) Boerner, sister-inlaw Marveen, as well as her best friend Sue Hesketh, and Godchildren David Hesketh,

Melissa Hesketh, and Diana Schaller. She is also survived by her “daughter without the umbilical cord,” as she would say, DeAnne Campbell and her children, Trent Portman and Lillet Gustavson, whom Berta took great pride in helping raise. She was predeceased by her husband Bob and daughter Karyn Bosso, as well as her siblings Robert (Ruth) Carlitz, Joe (Betty) Carlitz, Hermine Boerner and nephews Tom (Ginny) Callahan, Joe Jr. and niece Diane.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 26 at 11:00 a.m. at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City, with visitation from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. that morning. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Family House (www. familyhouseinc.org/donate). Family House is a pediatric guesthouse in San Francisco that provides support to families of children being treated for cancer and other life threatening illnesses.

In light of the pandemic, a Celebration of Life and traditional Berta-style Irish Corned Beef Bash will be held on Friday, March 12, 2021. Please save the date as details will follow.