Carol Ida Suveda, Hebrew name Alisa Tamar Bat Gerson v'Shoshana, was a loving mother, partner, and friend who lived September 7, 1959 to June 19, 2022. She is at rest after surviving many years with cancer. Burial was held on Wednesday, June 22, 2022., at Home of Eternity, Oakland, CA.
Carol was born in Castro Valley, CA to Joan Florance DePhillips and Walter Stanley Moch. Carol was initially raised in San Lorenzo, then the family moved to Oakland, where her brother Ira David Moch was born. The family moved to Piedmont in 1968. Carol attended Havens Elementary School, Piedmont Middle School, and Piedmont High School. She was admitted to UC Berkeley, where she joined the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, becoming lifelong friends with Julie Cohen and Roz Maisy (Kupfer). After graduating, she lived in San Francisco and Berkeley with various friends (Beth McBride, Tony Miller, Liz Gotfried, Ann Morganstern, and a few others).
In the mid 1980s, a mutual friend, Evelyn Schwartz, introduced Carol to Abraham (Avi) Suveda; they married in 1989. Their daughter Orly Danielle Suveda was born in Berkeley on January 9, 1993. Carol and Avi chose the name Orly which means "my light" in Hebrew because Carol's due date was on Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of that, that year. Orly was raised in Carol's Berkeley house all her life, attending Berkeley public schools. Carol and Avi divorced in 1996.
Carol earned a B.A. in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Nonprofit Administration at the University of San Francisco. She worked in the nonprofit fundraising and development world for more than 27 years. Significant employers included the Leukemia Society, Mount Zion Hospital, Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, Berkeley Symphony, American Cancer Society, and UC Berkeley Cal Performances. At UC Berkeley she managed alumni relations and events for the Marching Band, Choral Ensembles, and Jazz Ensembles, holding this position for 11 years total. After concluding her work at UC Berkeley, she became a driver for various ride companies including Uber, Lyft, Kango, Zum, and SilverRide. She retired from driving in 2020 to focus on her health.
Carol had a very active and dedicated volunteer life, including at Freight and Salvage, Shotgun Players, Aurora Theater and Berkeley Rep Theater. Through her volunteer service, Carol continued to build and surround herself with a loving community of individuals.
Carol met Randy Greer in mid-2008. Together they shared a life of love, color, and adventure until her passing. Her passions included attending concerts and festivals including Burning Man, supporting and participating in the Women's Cancer Resource Center, participating in the Chochmat HaLev Jewish renewal congregation in Berkeley (where she recently served on the Search Committee for a new spiritual leader), choral singing, travel (she visited five continents), and above all, her devotion to family and friends, who are grateful for their time with Carol and will miss her dearly. Over the years Carol amassed a large and loving community and inspired many to live life with a sense of adventure, style, creativity, and genuine love.