ALTICK, Sally Beach June 2, 1929 - November 16, 2007

     Sally Beach Altick, a former Oregonian, was born in Portland June 2, 1929, and grew up in Southern California. After attending University of Oregon for two years, where she joined the Delta Gamma sorority, she transferred to Stanford. There she met her future husband, Bob Altick, whose parents lived in Lake Oswego. While Bob served in the Korean War, Sally lived in Portland with her parents, Frank Loomis and Betz (Mary Elizabeth Boyd) Beach. Sally was the granddaughter of Frank Edwin Beach, who arrived in Portland in 1874 and who, as chairman of the Board of Trade (predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce) is given credit for naming Portland, the "City of Roses" and also suggesting what has now become the annual Rose Festival.

     While raising two sons, Frank Lawrence Altick and Peter Douglas Altick, Sally was active politically and was appointed by then Governor Ronald Reagan to be chairman of the California Parks Commission. Nineteen years ago she was instrumental in creating "Ano Nuevo State Reserve" (site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, just 55 miles south of San Francisco) into one of the most frequently visited natural educational sites in California. She also worked with San Jose State University in developing a class for docents for the interpretive program at Ano Nuevo. Later, when the California park rangers took over the operation there, she and her group moved north five miles to Pigeon Point Light Station, which she developed into a popular tourist site until it was reclaimed by the U.S. Coast Guard several years later and subsequently turned into a State Historic Park.

     Sally is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, Frank and Ellen Bishop Altick, Atherton, Calif., and Peter and Jane Sonne Altick, San Diego, Calif.; sisters, Virginia Beach (and Eric Wilder) Hoyte of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Nancy Beach Johnson of Portland. In addition she leaves eight grandchildren; nieces, Anne Gullixson Panowicz and Helena Hoyte Bierly; and nephews, Roland and Derek Hoyte.     At her request, there was no memorial service. Remembrances may be sent to the San Mateo Coast Natural History Association, P.O. Box 3245, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.

Published in The Oregonian on 11/29/2007.