Resident of San Jose

Elyse Amber (Gieseke) Phillips of San Jose, CA, age 58, loving daughter, wife, “fairy step-mommy,” and devoted friend, passed away at her home on September 28, 2024, after a 14-month battle with cancer. Elyse was the life of the party and a gatherer of people, always staying connected to her community of friends and ensuring they got together frequently.

The only child of Kathleen and Phillip Gieseke, Elyse was born in Elmhurst, IL, on September 2, 1966. She attended primary and secondary school in Palatine, IL, and spent one year at Northern Illinois University. After that year, she realized “people in the Midwest die from the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer,” so she moved tothe Bay Area in June of 1985. Elyse worked at the Westfield San Francisco Nordstrom while attending San Francisco State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.

Elyse had a rich and varied professional career as an entrepreneur, salesperson, and high-tech marketing executive, the career she loved the most. A self-described “high-tech startup junkie,” she worked for many companies over the years, including Ampex, First Virtual, Appcelerator, Elastic, Zepl, and Landing.ai. She loved the energy at early-stage tech companies with small marketing teams, where she could work with the founders and make an impact.

Elyse loved her family, friends, fashion, high heels, California Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. Her home was the site of countless get-togethers. She enjoyed traveling and organized many trips with her friends and family. Elyse had an incredible fashion sense and was always “dressed to the nines,” never without her high heels. She was quietly very generous to her family, friends, and the causes she loved.

Elyse is survived by her husband, Ronald Zraick Jr., of San Jose, CA, and her beloved stepchildren, Tommy Zraick and Julia Zraick, of Carlsbad, CA; her father, Phillip Gieseke, and stepmother, Arlene Torio, of Pompano Beach, FL; and three aunts: Louise (Earle) Whitaker of Tavares, FL, Madonna (Mike) Maze of McHenry, IL, and Lisa (Christopher) Coe of Island Lake, IL. She is predeceased by her mother, Kathleen Helen Gieseke Matthews.

A celebration of Elyse’s life is being planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the “Glioblastoma Foundation.”