Charles Sabes, known as “Chuck” to friends and family, died of a heart attack Dec. 25 while on a family vacation in Costa Rica. He was 52.
The Saratoga man loved to travel, volunteer and be with his family. But most of all, he loved surprises.
Last year, for example, he threw a surprise 50th birthday luau for his wife, Robin, sending guests pineapples as invitations, and then whisked her away to Hawaii for a weeklong vacation.
“He was an extremely generous person,” said his older brother Mike Sabes. “He made a good living as a lawyer, but money didn’t motivate him as much as taking care of family.”
Sabes and his college-sweetheart wife had five children. Once, he surprised his daughter’s soccer team by taking the eighth-grade girls on a five-day cruise.
And he tricked his sister into thinking she was helping to select a Thunderbird for his wife. After the paperwork had been signed, he handed his sister the keys instead. She had always wanted a Thunderbird, Mike recalled.
Sabes grew up in California. He attended U.C. Berkeley and Santa Clara University Law School. He was the youngest of four siblings.
The Saratoga resident had his own law practice, an office that was always a mess because of his daily routine — leaving around 4 p.m. to attend his children’s athletic events.
“His priorities were straight,” Mike Sabes said. “His kids and his family were his hobbies.”
The funeral was held Dec. 29 at Congregation Beth David in Saratoga. More than 1,000 people attended.
“People had to stand. In my 25 years [at Beth David] I cannot remember that ever happening,” said Rabbi Daniel Pressman. “Chuck was an unusually fine person.”
Sabes was active for many years at the synagogue. Before he and Robin had children, they volunteered for years as advisors for United Synagogue Youth.
He was also active at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley, a participant in the Wexner Heritage Program, and helped other charity organizations. He believed in giving back to the community and did pro bono work for many charities, including the Pat Tillman Foundation.
Mike Sabes described his brother as a friendly man and a peacemaker in difficult situations. He loved to videotape family gatherings, but since he was always the one behind the camera, he’s not in much of the footage.
“He had a lot of common sense,” he said. “He was really smart and retained everything. He was humble. He was warm.”
Sabes is survived by his wife, Robin; their children Ilana, Michael, Elisa, Rachael and Nicole; and siblings Mike Sabes, Myron Sabes and Ruth Perkins.
Donations in his memory can be made to Congregation Beth David, the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos or the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley.