Nelda Jean Zaballos

Nelda Jean Zaballos passed away at Bayview Manor in Seattle, Washington, on May 19, 2026. Nelda was formerly a resident of Modesto, San Leandro, and Oakland, California.

She was born Nelda Jean Smart in Modesto on November 23, 1931 to Oliver William Smart (1901-1981) and Georgia Edith (Spivey) Smart (1904-1991). She graduated from San Leandro High School in 1949.

Nelda met Francisco “Frank” Zaballos when he came back to San Leandro High School, where he graduated in 1946, to attend the Shuffle Inn, the high school dance. They would later marry on Feb. 4, 1951.

After graduating she worked at the Caterpillar tractor plant in San Leandro. She later served on the board of the San Francisco Symphony.

Nelda was especially fond of following progressive politics, watching football, baking, traveling the world, sewing and other crafts, chocolate milkshakes, martinis, learning, and reading.

After Frank retired as a pharmacist in 1987, they moved to Seattle to be closer to family. After a series of homes, they moved to Bayview Manor in 2008.

Nelda is survived by her four estranged adult children: Linda Wright (Steven Wright), Nancy Zaballos, (Frank) Peter Zaballos (Kristine Zaballos) and Ken Zaballos (Julie Zaballos). She is further survived by grandchildren Emma Zaballos (Gus Warren), Jameson Zaballos (Fiona Liu), Benjamin Zaballos (Alessia Casale), Christian Zaballos (Marion Wollach), Daniel Zaballos and Wendy Zaballos; and her sister-in-law Karen Smart.

She is preceded in death by her husband Frank, who passed away in 2022, her mother and father, her sister Jackie (Smart) Maloney (Harry Maloney), her brother James Oliver Smart (Karen Smart), and her dear cousin Danelle (Spivey) Hickling.

Nelda left an impression on Emma, Jameson, Benjamin, and Christian Zaballos, her son Peter’s children. They have fond memories of her love of martinis, Dick’s hamburgers, and fancy cars. She famously rented a Ford Shelby GT350H when Frank said she could rent “any Ford at Hertz.” She had a mischievous side, too; after Jameson mentioned how much he liked a wine glass at the Zeeks off Seattle Center, she gleefully handed it to him after they had left, having smuggled it in her purse. “They never expect the grandmother,” she said. She made the most of her time in Wisconsin, and the kids would frequently return home from school to find her darning socks, hanging out in the kitchen or peeling potatoes.

No memorial will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bayview Foundation.

The family expresses appreciation to the wonderful staff at Bayview for caring for Nelda — despite her often difficult behavior — for almost 20 years.

Nelda was a believer whose favorite bible passage was “I look to the hills from which my help comes. Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:17