Rachel Marie Estrada
Rachel Marie Estrada passed away in Gilroy, California at the age of 78. She was a long time housewife and graduate of Live Oak High School class of 1948. Rachel, a long time resident of Morgan Hill, California, raised her family there. She is survived by her three children, Henry (Kathie) Martinez of Bend, Oregon, John Estrada (Sylvia) Estrada of San Jose and Olga Jean Sanchez of Morgan Hill. Rachel is also survived by nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She will always be remembered for her unending devotion to her children and her fighting spirit. She will be missed. May she rest in peace. She was a volunteer at St Catherine's food pantry for approximately 13 years and worker at the voter polls for many years.
Mary Fortino
A native of Kansas, Mary came to San Benito County in 1946. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Saint Benedict's Church, the Italian Catholic Federation and the Y.L.I. She loved to cook and spend time with her family and friends. Mary and her late husband Eugene (Jim) Fortino operated the Villa Pace Restaurant with her late sister Angeline and late brother-in-law Chester Fortino from 1968 until 1977. Mrs. Fortino was preceded in death by her son Dominic in 1935, her husband Eugene in 1991, and a daughter Eugenia (Genie) Flores in 1995. She is survived by her daughters, Ginger Guerra (Joe) and Geri (Bill) Wilson; son-in-law Francis Flores, grandchildren, Kim Flores, Khris Flores, Victoria (Richard) Passalacqua, and Michael Guerra; great-grandchildren, Gianna, Dominic, and Marcella Passalacqua; a brother-in-law John Fortino of Hollister; sisters-in-law, Violet Ascanio of Kansas, and Harriet Ascanio of Missouri; nieces and nephews, Gino (Phyllis) Fortino; Philip (Vicki) Fortino, and Toni Lee Fortino of Hollister, and Teresa (Ken) Sherpinski of Salinas; grandnephews and grandnieces, Dominic (Dawn) Fortino, Gianna (Rick) Veon, Philip (Vanessa) Fortino, and Dina Fortino; great-grandniece Gabrielle Fortino and great-grandnephews, John Fortino, Vincent Fortino and Gino Veon.
Yoneo Hatakeyama
Yoneo Hatakeyama was born in Blanco, CA on Feb. 16, 1917. Shortly after birth, Yoneo's father, Seitaro, ironically after surviving two wars in Japan, was killed in an auto accident. His mother, Asame, decided to bring the family back to Japan. At the age of 16, Yoneo returned to the Salinas Valley. During WWII, he enlisted in the US Army, where he learned his trade as a dental lab tech. He married Betsy Hayashi on Oct., 16 1946, after she was released from Internment Camp at Poston, Arizona. They settled in Fresno for 34 years. Yoneo entered peacefully into Nirvana on Oct. 19, 2007 in Morgan Hill, CA at the age of 90, after 28 fulfilling years in Morgan Hill. He is survived by wife Betsy, children Dr. Jon (Shelly) Hatakeyama - their children Evan, Vanessa, Brent, and Vincent; Steven (Becky) Hatakeyama - their children Bryce and Stevie; and daughter, Mia (Glenn) Hatakeyama Rivera.
Louis George Ahumada
Louis George Ahumada passed away on October 26, 2007. He lived in Gilroy for over fifty years. He is survived by his loving wife Sara, of 54 years, his children: Valerie Geary, Cynthia Higgins, and George Ahumada. He had 8 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. He lived in Arnold, CA, for the past five years.
Beatrice Corona
Beatrice Corona, 82, died peacefully at the Sunrise Living Center in San Jose on October 26, 2007. Beatrice was born in Blythe ,CA. She attended college in EI Centro. Bea moved to Gilroy with her parents in the late 1940's. She worked in the cannery during harvest seasons. Beatrice found many ways to connect to the community during her free time. She volunteered for Family Linkage, The Listening Post, Girl Scouts, Voter's registration, and Stanford. She participated in fund drives for Heart, Cancer and March of Dimes. She named Gilroy's first park, Las Animas, on the corner of Wren and Mantelli. She joins her parents, Nieves & Ramon Corona and her brother Toby. Survivors: Danny Soto and his wife Yvette and their two children, Danny Jr. and Joshua; Charlene Tonkin, her three daughters, Manda, Hannah and Nija; sisters: Ruth Martinez, Effie Artana, Gloria Ballard, Norma Quackenbush, Alice Corona-Jimenez; brothers: Jack, Manuel, Ernest, Arthur, Alfred and Charles Corona; In-laws, Fairy Corona, Avalon Corona, Randall Jimenez, Peter Quackenbush, Robert Artana and many wonderful loving nephews and nieces. She will be missed by family and friends.
Mary Fortino
A native of Kansas, Mary came to San Benito County in 1946. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Saint Benedict's Church, the Italian Catholic Federation and the Y.L.I. She loved to cook and spend time with her family and friends. Mary and her late husband Eugene (Jim) Fortino operated the Villa Pace Restaurant with her late sister Angeline and late brother-in-law Chester Fortino from 1968 until 1977. Mrs. Fortino was preceded in death by her son Dominic in 1935, her husband Eugene in 1991, and a daughter Eugenia (Genie) Flores in 1995. She is survived by her daughters, Ginger Guerra (Joe) and Geri (Bill) Wilson; grandchildren, Kim Flores, Khris Flores, Victoria (Richard) Passalacqua, and Michael Guerra; great- grandchildren, Gianna, Dominic, and Marcella Passalacqua; a brother-in-law John Fortino of Hollister; sisters-in-law, Violet Ascanio of Kansas, and Harriet Ascanio of Missouri; nieces and nephews, Gino (Phyllis) Fortino; Philip (Vicki) Fortino, and Toni Lee Fortino of Hollister, and Teresa (Ken) Sherpinski of Salinas; grandnephews and grandnieces, Dominic (Dawn) Fortino, Gianna (Rick) Veon, Philip (Vanessa) Fortino, and Dina Fortino; great-grandniece Gabrielle Fortino and great-grandnephews, John Fortino, Vincent Fortino and Gino Veon.
Philip R. Coates
Philip R. Coates, 86, died October 24, 2007 after a short illness at the Veteran's Hospital in Palo Alto. He was raised in Morgan Hill and graduated from Live Oak High School in 1939. He later joined the Army as a paratrooper, was injured, then captured as a POW. When he returned to Morgan Hill, he worked for the Leonard Coates Nursery and later the Morgan Hill Unified School District as a gardener. Upon retirement he moved to Aromas, CA.
Mary Fortino
A native of Kansas, Mary came to San Benito County in 1946. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Saint Benedict's Church, the Italian Catholic Federation and the Y.L.I. She loved to cook and spend time with her family and friends. Mary and her late husband Eugene (Jim) Fortino operated the Villa Pace Restaurant with her late sister Angeline and late brother-in-law Chester Fortino, from 1968 until 1977. Mrs. Fortino was preceded in death by her son Dominic in 1935, her husband Eugene in 1991, and a daughter Eugenia (Genie) Flores in 1995. She is survived by her daughters Ginger Guerra (Joe) and Geri (Bill) Wilson; grandchildren, Kim Flores, Khris Flores, Victoria (Richard) Passalacqua, and Michael Guerra; great- grandchildren Gianna, Dominic, and Marcella Passalacqua; a brother-in-law, John Fortino, of Hollister; sisters-in-law; Violet Ascanio of Kansas and Harriet Ascanio of Missouri; nieces and nephews, Gino (Phyllis) Fortino; Philip (Vicki) Fortino and Toni Lee Fortino of Hollister, and Teresa (Ken) Sherpinski of Salinas; grand-nephews and grand-nieces, Dominic (Dawn) Fortino, Gianna (Rick) Veon, Philip (Vanessa) Fortino, and Dina Fortino; and great-grand-nephews Vincent Fortino and Gino Veon.
Peter Montelonga
Entered into rest in Hollister at the age of 69. He was born in Hollister but lived in Georgia for 25 years. He is a retired 20 year veteran of the US Army and enjoyed many pastimes - bingo, family gatherings and travel. He had a great sense of humor, was compassionate, thought of others first and never gave up and had a positive attitude. He loved his dog "Little Bit" and loved his "Youngins."
Joan Emery
Joan Emery, age 64, of Atascadero, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at her home with her family at her side. She was born in June of 1943 in Oakland, California and was raised in Salinas and Indian Valley. She has been an Atascadero resident for the past 18 years, coming from Morgan Hill, CA.
