Father, husband, adventurer
Larry Kwicinski of Woodside, who lost a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer on February 18 at age 57, was remembered by family and hundreds of friends during a celebration of his life February 27 in Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley.
Tributes to Mr. Kwicinski were made by his wife Nanci Caldwell, daughter Adrianna Kwicinski, friends Donna Dubinsky and Guy Kawasaki, and friends from eastern Canada.
Joining in the tributes were his daughter’s friends who also were his friends: Sophia Cornew, Chloe Peters, Madeleine Traver, Avery Plough and Alex Heany, eighth-graders at Corte Madera School.
Mr. Kwicinski was born in Welland, Canada, on August 5, 1948, and moved from Toronto to California in 1998 with his wife and daughter.
He retired from the software industry three years ago as the CEO of the company he founded — Sales Gorilla. He worked previously at General Electric for 10 years and Hewlett Packard for eight.
“Larry was a man who lived every aspect of his life to the fullest,” said his wife Nanci Caldwell. “He could light up a room just with his presence. He didn’t need words — tall and very handsome, his face warm and welcoming, his smile wide and eyes sparkling.”
“His wink could light a whole town of people’s hearts,” said daughter Adriana.
Mr. Kwicinski loved nature and the outdoors, a passion he shared with his daughter. He traveled to the Canadian Arctic many times, including four trips with his daughter, starting when she was in the fifth grade.
He also loved kayaking, snowshoeing and canoeing, and in recent years went back to his Canadian roots by taking up ice hockey.
“Perhaps, more than anything, what defined Larry was his values,” said his wife. He was honest, true to himself and others, and was a man who defined himself by who he was and not what he had, she said.
Mr. Kwicinski’s first degree was in electronics from Ryerson University in Toronto. While at Hewlett Packard, he went back to York University in Toronto and earned a master’s in business administration. When his daughter was a baby, he went to school part-time at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada, and received a master’s in environmental studies.
Known for his sense of humor and love of playing, Mr. Kwicinski not only joined Adriana and her friends in play, but also was the impetus for much of their fun.
The family prefers donations in his name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) or the Peninsula Open Space Trust (openspacetrust.org).
He is survived by his wife Nanci; daughter Adriana; parents Betty and Chester Kwicinski of Welland, Canada; and his brothers and sisters, Betty Lou DiMattio, Barry Kwicinski, Brenda Michener, Randy Kwicinski, Cindy Blanchard and Jerry Kwicinski, all of Canada.
Susan Dove
Longtime Menlo Park resident
A memorial service celebrating the life of Susan “Susie” White Dove was to be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Ms. Dove, a member of a prominent local family, died at her Menlo Park home on March 4 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 66.
Ms. White was born in Evanston, Illinois, and grew up in Atherton, the daughter of Betty and Howard J. White. The late Mr. White was the founder of Howard J. White construction company.
She graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School and attended the University of Colorado, where she met her future husband, Eddie Dove. In 1960, the couple moved to Menlo Park, where they raised their two children, Debra and David.
Ms. Dove was active in many community organizations including the Peninsula Volunteers, the Junior League of Palo Alto, Valley Auxiliary of Family Service Agency of San Mateo County, Woodside Garden Club, Friends of Filoli, and Menlo Country Club. She was a lifelong member of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.
Known as “Wawa” to her grandchildren and their friends, Ms. Dove lived her life with great enthusiasm and as a selfless example for others as a mother, wife, grandmother and friend, say family members.
Ms. Dove is survived by her husband of 45 years, Eddie Dove of Menlo Park; children Debra Roberts and David Dove, both of Menlo Park; mother Betty White of Menlo Park; sister Mary McDowell of Ladera; and six grandchildren.
Memorials in her name may be made to the American Cancer Society.
