tvc.dsj.org | April 25, 2017
CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS
7
Sobrato Family: Giving Back With An Impact
Silicon Valley is known the world
over as a place where dreams become
reality and where global technology
enterprises are born in someone’s ga-
rage. It has a social and business ethos
that supports innovation and entre-
preneurship. The Sobrato family has
been a part of that Silicon Valley tra-
dition and spirit for over five decades
and they have played a pivotal role in
shaping it. Led by the current family
patriarch, John A. Sobrato, the entire
family is respected for both their busi-
ness success and their commitment to
giving back to their community.
The Sobrato family’s impact on
Northern California dates back to the
1920s when John Mossimo Sobrato,
after serving in the U.S. Army, worked
as a dishwasher until he saved enough
to open his own restaurant in North
Beach. It was called John’s Rendez-
vous, and it became quite popular. In
1938, he met and married Ann, and
John Albert was born that same year.
John A. helped out in the restaurant at
times, but his father discouraged him
from the restaurant business, telling
him it was too hard. John Mossimo
died of cancer, when John A. was just
12 years old.
With a child to support, John’s
mother sold the restaurant, took Eng-
lish classes, and went into real estate
on the peninsula. John attended Saint
Joseph’s Parochial School in Menlo
Park and Bellarmine College Prepara-
tory. After Bellarmine, he enrolled at
Santa Clara University as an engineer-
ing major, but quickly decided he was
better suited to business. While he was
still a junior in college, John started
selling Eichler houses in Palo Alto
“With great wealth comes
responsibility to give back
and lend a hand.”
three days a week and arranged classes
so he only had to attend school three
days per week. He had discovered his
calling.
At about the same time, while
attending a friend’s wedding, John
struck up a conversation with the at-
tractive woman in front of him in the
buffet line. Her name was Sue Reece,
and before long she would become
Sue Sobrato. After his graduation from
Santa Clara in 1960, Sue and John were
married. The following year with his
mother, John A. developed their first
build-to-suit facility for Lockheed;
this was the beginnin g of what would
become the Sobrato Organization, a
family-run firm, known to this day for
its hands-on approach and enduring
partnerships. Their major office build-
ings in the Valley include the iconic
Apple headquarters in Cupertino, the
Siebel campus now Sony Campus in
San Mateo and Nvidia campus in Santa
Clara. Sobratos have developed 175
offices including buildings for Netflix,
EMC, VeriSign, Yahoo! and the Palo
Alto Medical Foundation.
As the Sobrato business thrived,
John and Sue were able to turn some of
that success into another passion they
shared–giving back to their commu-
nity. Giving back is part of the Sobrato
ethic; part of the Sobrato family mis-
sion–giving back with an impact. John
and Sue have a very deep and authentic
Sue and John A. Sobrato
commitment to philanthropy. They
are active, passionate philanthropists,
they do not just sit at home and write a
check and go about business. Spurred
by their interest in improving educa-
tion, health care, human services and
other community programs, the Sobra-
tos have provided significant grants to
nonprofit organizations totaling nearly
$380 million throughout the Valley.
As Sue tells it, “Our children feel
it is just as important as we do; they
want to give back and that is part of our
Catholic tradition. If you are fortunate
and you can do it, then do it. And now
it’s happening with our grandchildren.
They are giving back. What we do
makes me very proud of our family.”
John and Sue’s generosity is not only
about doing the right thing; it is about
results–very Silicon Valley. They want
to know, in detail, how their giving is
making a difference and to how many
people, over how long a time, in as
many ways as can be measured. They
study and scrutinize for as long as it
takes before deciding to contribute.
It’s more than philanthropy; it’s truly
“venture philanthropy,” and John de-
mands a return on investment.
“Although there is a great deal of
wealth in the Valley, the disparity
between the rich and poor is dramatic
and growing. Many people don’t have
the needed skills and education to
succeed in today’s economy or have
other challenges that hold them back,”
said John.
Much of John and Sue’s family giv-
ing has been to education, including
the new Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High
School in downtown San Jose, build-
ings at Bellarmine, Saint Francis High
School, and at the Latino College Prepa-
ratory Academy, Santa Clara University,
and recently the Drexel School System,
which was developed to revitalize and
transform Catholic Elementary Schools
in the Diocese of San Jose. And now the
Sobratos are making another invest-
ment in the Drexel Schools with a $25
million bequest of their estate. With
this gift, the largest gift ever received
in the history of the Diocese of San Jose,
they are setting a challenge for others to
say this: “Come join us in this to make
Catholic Elementary Education thrive
into the 21st century and beyond.”
Busier than ever, John and Sue still
find time to do the things they love
away from the office, like traveling,
spending time on their boat, fishing,
water skiing, snow skiing and other
activities with their five grandsons and
two granddaughters. It always comes
back to family and community, “With
great wealth comes responsibility to
give back and lend a hand,” says John.
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