David Vaclav Palecek, an Atherton resident and a partner at McKinsey & Co. management consulting firm, died from complications of a staphylococcus infection at Stanford Hospital on Feb. 16. He was 37.
A celebration of his life is scheduled for March 14 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center on the Stanford campus at 11 a.m. Information is on the Facebook page Support David Palecek.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, he spent the first several years of his life with his parents in Lausanne, Switzerland. The family moved to Palo Alto in 1975, and then moved to Atherton, where Mr. Palecek and his two brothers grew up.
As a teenager, he was an Eagle Scout and became a member of the Alpine Meadows ski patrol, a volunteer job he performed for 20 seasons, family members said.
He graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School and earned a bachelor's degree in genomics from the University of California at Davis.
He took a job with McKinsey & Co. in its Prague office, and then attended Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, graduating in 1998. It was there he met his future wife, Melissa Black. They married in 2000. Mr. Palecek rejoined McKinsey at its Palo Alto office and was made partner in 2003.
Family members said he was a devoted and loving father to his four daughters, 6-year-old twins Katrina and Caroline, Sierra, 5, and Annika, 14 months. He enjoyed windsurfing, water-skiing and sailing, and was an avid skier, a certified dive master and a licensed pilot, family members said.
Besides his wife Melissa and their four daughters, Mr. Palecek is survived by his parents, Peter and Hana Palecek of Atherton; and his brothers Misha Palecek and Tom Palecek, both of San Francisco.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the David V. Palecek Memorial Trust to assist with his daughters' health care, welfare, and education. Checks should be made payable to "David V. Palecek Memorial Trust" and sent to David Palecek Memorial Trust, 68 Mesa Court, Atherton, CA 94027.
Comments
Atherton: West Atherton
on Mar 2, 2010 at 2:59 pm
on Mar 2, 2010 at 2:59 pm
My thoughts and prayers are with Melissa and her four daughters in this time of loss and grief.
Atherton: other
on Mar 2, 2010 at 5:48 pm
on Mar 2, 2010 at 5:48 pm
what a sad day. I will say I am not a bit surprised. My father had double knee replacement surgery at Stanford and got a staph infection. My dad recently died while being treated at Stanford for cancer and the care was horrendous. terrible terrible hospital. My mother kept a log of all the mishaps and errors in treatment and communication. She wrote a long letter to the hospital and spent over an hour on the phone with them discussing all the problems. LPCH is generally good. But stay the heck out of Stanford if you want to live.
another community
on Mar 2, 2010 at 7:47 pm
on Mar 2, 2010 at 7:47 pm
I was so sorry to hear about David. David and I graduated M-A together. He always said we Czechs had to stick together- quick to smile. His wit will be missed. We ran into one another at a restaurant in Arcata on Thanksgiving 1997 or 1998. While random, we did recognize one another right away. He looked the same as the day we graduated in 1990.
Sorry for the family's loss, but
Zitra bude lepsi den..
Tomorrow will be a better day
Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Mar 2, 2010 at 10:40 pm
on Mar 2, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Our love and prayers are with all of the family at the tragic loss of David. We are so sorry about your immeasurable loss.
Vera, George, Stephan and Phillip
Atherton: West Atherton
on Mar 6, 2010 at 9:40 pm
on Mar 6, 2010 at 9:40 pm
He will be missed.