Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Hook
Elizabeth L. “Betty” Hook, a resident of Sharon Heights since the early 1960s, died Sept. 22, after a long illness, surrounded by her family. She was 77.
Ms. Hook was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1930. She graduated from St. Luke’s College of Nursing in Kansas City.
In 1951, she met her future husband, Oliver Hook, and they were married a year later. The couple moved to California in 1958, living in Hillsdale before moving to Menlo Park.
Ms. Hook was a homemaker and involved in school activities when her two sons, Steve and John, attended Las Lomitas district schools and Woodside High School.
She served as a volunteer in several charities and as a “Pink Lady” at Stanford Hospital for many years.
While her children were growing up, the family belonged to Ladera Oaks Swim and Tennis Club. She was later a member of the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.
Ms. Hook was passionate about the arts and an accomplished vocalist, singing in the Palo Alto Methodist Church Choir for many years, family members said.
She loved to laugh and often extended herself to total strangers. Her greatest joy in life was being a devoted wife and mother, said the family.
Ms. Hook is survived by her husband of 55 years, Oliver; sons Steve Hook of Salt Lake City and John Hook of Scottsdale, Arizona; sisters Janet Smith of Savannah, Georgia, and Helen Shores of Kansas City, Missouri; and four grandchildren.
A graveside ceremony is planned in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Helen Carlson
Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Classic Residence by Hyatt for Helen Alair Carlson, who died in Palo Alto on Sept. 19. She was 86.
Ms. Carlson was a native of Spokane, Washington. She graduated from UCLA in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
A homemaker for more than 25 years, she was active in the Parent Teachers Association in her children’s schools, and a member of the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
She was a longtime member of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, where she served as a deacon.
Ms. Carlson is survived by her three daughters, Kristen Woods of Los Altos, Ann Johnson of Palo Alto, and Libby Vincent of Folsom; and seven grandchildren. She was the sister of Gene Alair of Sterling, Virginia. Her husband, Lowell Carlson, died in 2000.
The Classic Residence by Hyatt is located at 620 Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto. The family prefers donations to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
