Rachael Julia Balyeat

March 20, 1925 — July 4, 2016

Our beloved mother, Rachael Balyeat died suddenly on July 4th. She is survived by her sister, Loisjean and spouse, John; her daughter Susan and spouse, James; son Kurt and spouse, Margo, along with their children, Anton, Alicia and spouse, David and their son Elliott, and Nora; son Mark and partner Terri; and son Peter and spouse, Sarah and their son Ian, as well as many nieces, nephews and their children. Both Rachael’s brother, James, and her son, Karl, predeceased her.

She was born in Great Falls, Montana on March 20, 1925, the oldest of three. She was followed shortly by her sister and later by her brother. Her father worked for the J.C. Penney company, and held jobs at many different Penney’s stores which caused the family to move to Washington State and then eventually to California, where they lived in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and San Jose.

Rachael graduated from San Jose High School Co-Valedictorian in 1942. She entered the University of California at Berkeley to major in English, where she met her future husband Raymond. Ray and Rachael were married from her parents’ home in Ukiah on June 22, 1945. After the war, the couple came back to Berkeley, California so Rachael could complete her interrupted degree. She became Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year and graduated with a BA in English in 1946.

Rachael’s first child, Susan, was born in 1947. The couple bought a piece of property in Walnut Creek where they built their own home working weekends and after hours in the summer. Son Kurt was born in August 1950, and the family moved into their house the following January. Son Mark arrived in January 1952 and son Karl was born the following year in June 1953. Ray and Rachael started a construction company and began to build houses. During that time, Rachael participated with her husband in the Great Books organization, and also joined The League of Women Voters in Walnut Creek. Son Peter was born during this period in September 1958.

In the late 50’s, Ray and Rachael began building apartment communities, eventually building and owning several large properties in Santa Clara County and the family prospered. But in the mid-60’s, the couple decided to close their business. Assured of a stable income, they wanted to “give something back,” so Ray joined the Peace Corps. He was appointed director of the Peace Corps in Afghanistan, and in 1967, the entire family, except for daughter Susan who was in college, moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, where they would live for two years.

Afghanistan kindled Rachael’s life-long interest in rugs and textiles. She also became a “den mother” to the Peace Corps volunteers and made many friends who she remained in contact with through the rest of her life.

In 1969, Rachael and her family left Afghanistan and returned to the Bay Area to settle in San Francisco, where Rachael continued to live until 2010. Rachael and her husband divorced in 1971.

Following the divorce, Rachael was not only involved in learning how to run her own real estate investments, but went back to school and got a Master’s Degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University. She also joined a women’s group, joined the League of Women Voters chapter in San Francisco, joined SPUR in San Francisco, got involved in politics, and much more. Although she continued to live in San Francisco, in 1975 she bought a weekend ranch house on a large parcel east of Napa Valley to have a vegetable garden and get out of the summer fog.

Rachael decided to become more sophisticated about wine, which led her to take a course on wine appreciation at U.C. Davis. Through that course, she became very interested in wine and viticulture, a love that continued for the rest of her life. She decided to put in a vineyard at her ranch property and also became a home winemaker under the 200-bottle personal exemption law.

When the Russians invaded Afghanistan, she formed AFAR (Aid for Afghan Refugees) with former Peace Corps friends to help Afghan asylum seekers coming to San Francisco.

Rachael loved to travel and was quite intrepid. During her lifetime, she traveled the world, visiting every continent except Antarctica, and many several times.

Early in the 1990’s, tragedy struck Rachael and her family, when her son Karl was killed in a mountain climbing accident. Rachael was devastated by this loss. Following this, Rachael curtailed some of her activities and became more involved in the Unitarian Church. She was active in the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, the UUA President’s Council, the national governing body of the UUA, and became the Secretary for the Board of Directors for Starr King School of the Ministry in Berkeley, CA.

Rachael also connected with the de Young Museum of San Francisco during the 1990’s, and helped them grow their textiles and rugs collection. She was a long-time patron of the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera and continued to attend the opera until her death.

In 2010, she moved to a senior facility in Santa Rosa to be closer to her children. She joined the Unitarian Universalist Church there, as well as serving as President of the Residents’ Council where she lived. She started a drumming circle there and a UU discussion group.

In 2014, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Starr King School of the Ministry in Berkeley and never was an award more deserved. She gave benefit to everyone she ever met, including those who opposed her, did much good in the world and cared little for any credit for it. She was a remarkable person, a wonderful mother, a great friend and will be mourned deeply by all who knew her.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life on Saturday, July 30th at 2:00pm at the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco (1187 Franklin St). Memorial gifts may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Association or to the Bancroft Library at the University of California at Berkeley.