Peggy Ellen Wooden Faletti

Peggy Ellen Wooden Faletti

Resident of Napa, California

Nov. 8, 1935 – Nov. 9, 2018

Peggy Ellen Wooden Faletti passed away November 9, 2018, the first day of her 84th year, at the Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, California, from complications of vascular and heart disease.

Peg was a funny, loving and caring mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, with a deep love of kids, books, dogs, USC Trojans, 49ers, food, music, and laughter. Exquisitely forgiving, kind, loving and solid, and always curious with a quick sense of humor, she was a community builder and sensitive friend and companion.

Born Nov. 8, 1935 at UCSF hospital, Peg grew up through toddlerhood with her parents, Earl and Virgie (Woodie) O’Neal Wooden, in pharmacy and nursing school there. They returned to the Central Valley to establish Earl Wooden’s Pharmacy in Reedley, and to be closer to Woodie’s family, the O’Neals and Andersons of Kingsburg. For high school, Peg moved to San Mateo with her mother and sister Joan, graduating in 1953.

A lifelong dog owner and animal lover, Peg was a “wannabe” veterinarian whose medical career was thwarted, in her words, by “the lowest recorded grade in chemistry at San Jose State College.” At San Jose State, she earned a BA in English literature and parish church history; teaching credentials; and an MA in Education. After all four kids were in school, she completed the EdD (ABD) from USC, and then became a SJSU dean.

Peg was a gifted public educator. She contributed to SJSU’s English Department as a college student; the San Jose Day Nursery in downtown San Jose; the Youth Science Institute (YSI) at Alum Rock Park; Hilltop 4-H Club in East San Jose; Junior College ESL programs in the South Bay; teaching of English and AP English at Overfelt High School in the ESUHSD; and was Dean of the Studies in American Language Program at SJSU. At the end of her career, and into retirement, she returned to her love of working with high school students at Foothill High School in the ESUHSD. She moved to Napa from San Jose in 2014 to be near family. 

She is survived by her four adult children: daughter Rina of Napa (David Huang; granddaughter Xochi); son Matt of Mill Creek, WA (Naomi Eguchi Faletti; granddaughters Angelica and Patricia Thrasher), son Alex of Herriman, UT (Lisa Faletti; grandchildren AJ, Josh, Allie, Logan, DJ, Jaxon); and son Adam, of Nevada City. Sister Joan Parker and niece Robin Parker live in Oakhurst, CA; brothers Steven, David, Michael and Patrick Wooden, are originally from Reedley, CA.

No obituary can describe the person she was, the things we will miss, and the ways she will live on in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers please contribute to her preferred organizations: Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary  (lilyslegacy.org/donate.html, honor of  Peg, Elizabeth & Cocoa); or the Youth Science Institute (ysi-ca.org/giving, honor of Peg & Milli Wright).

A casual memorial gathering to share and remember Peg will take place Sat., June 1, 2019, at 1:00 pm, followed by a buffet reception until 5:00 pm, at Tulocay Funeral Home in Napa, California (www.tulocaycemetery.com). Feel free to contact Peg's daughter Rina Faletti (falettir@hotmail.com).

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