Elena Pino

Elena Pino was born in Liverpool, England to Juana Gorrino and Pedro de Learreta on February 20, 1918. She had two brothers, Jack and Andrew, who were lost at sea. After the death of her parents, Elena immigrated to the United States and worked as a secretary and translator in San francisco. There, she reconnected with Frank Pino, whom she had previously met in England during World War II.

In 1966, she married Frank and they made a wonderful home in morgan Hill, where she painted and welcomed in the neighborhood children with cookies and ice cream. Elena had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great lover of animals, especially Lulubelle, the calf she raised and her two poodles, Coco and Jocko. Elena also loved the ocean and she and Frank spent many happy weekends at their cabin in Morro Bay.

Elena was active for many years at St. Catherine's parish, both as a religious education instructor and distributing food through the Reachout Program. Over the years, she and Frank sponsored many children at St. Catherine School.

Elena was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by her husband of 48 years, Frank Pino; his sister Teresa Rossi and her family; sister-in-law Glenda Pino and her family; as well as relatives in the Basque Region of Spain and many close friends and neighbors in Santa Clara Valley.

A special thank you to the caregivers at Hillview Convalescent Home, where Elena has been a resident for the past year.

A visitation will be held at Johnson Funeral Home in Morgan Hill on Wednesday, April 29 from 5-9pm, with a Rosary at 7pm. Friends and family are invited to join in a celebration of Elena's life at a Funeral Mass at 10am on Thursday, April 30 at St. Catherine Catholic Church, 17400 Peak Ave., Morgan Hill. Memorial donations can be made to St. Catherine Catholic Church.