Ada Bommarito

Ada Quilici Bommarito was born in Carson City, Nevada, in 1931. For the first 10 years of her life, she lived with her family and her uncle’s family on a desert ranch near Fort Churchill, Nevada. It was the time of the Great Depression, but Ada only remembers a delightful childhood on the ranch – she loved that desert for the rest of her life.

In 1946, her family moved to San Jose, California, where she graduated from Lincoln High School in 1949. Ada started working at age 16 picking prunes and cutting apricots for drying. After high school, she worked at O’Connor Hospital in the kitchen serving the nuns and later for the Santa Clara County Health Department, among other jobs.

Ada met her husband-to-be, Joe Bommarito, at a Quid Novi Catholic Singles Club and they were married in September, 1954. Within 6 years they had three children: Tom, Joe, and Teri. That began Ada’s journey of being a great mom. Through the years, Ada led a Cub Scout group and tutored children at school. The Bommarito house was a favorite place for the neighborhood kids to gather all the way through high school.

Ada always loved writing and after the children grew up, she enrolled in a writing class at the senior center. She eventually published her book of stories in 2002, describing her “Days on the Desert” that she so loved.

Ada passed peacefully at home at the age of 94 on February 25, 2026, after a long struggle with dementia. She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Joe, her children Tom (and wife Lilly), Joe (and wife Linnette), and Teri. She also was a loving grandmother to her four grandchildren: David, Elizabeth (Lisa), Tori, and Thomas and her great-grandson Simon. She was dearly loved and will be dearly missed.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Ada’s life on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 12:30 PM at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 200 O'Connor Drive, San Jose, CA 95128.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice, especially charities serving children since they held a special place in Ada’s heart.