Eugenia Frances Martino

Eugenia was born in July 1933, to Richard Baptist Steele and Laura Sylvia Steele, growing up on the family farm in Fresno, California, with her 5 sisters and 4 brothers. Eugenia attended Washington Colony Grammar School and Washington Union High School in Fresno, CA, before studying at San Jose State University. She received her BA degree from SJSU with a major in Occupational Therapy and minors in Art and Psychology, eventually becoming Chief of Occupational Therapy at both Veteran’s Administration Medical Centers in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. She supervised a staff of over 30 at time she retired. She attended Golden Gate University to get her MBA and graduated with honors. She received faculty appointments at several universities for instruction in Occupational Therapy. While working, Eugenia became a board member the Vet’s Task Force non-profit in Palo Alto, CA, serving Veterans through a Compensated Work therapy program,

After retirement, she became a docent at Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy for 5 years and was a 10 year volunteer for Reach Out food pantry through St. Catherine’s Church, in Morgan Hill.

Eugenia was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Laura, all four of her brothers (Richard, Charles, William and John Steele all of Fresno, CA), as well as three of her sisters (Rosemary Rodden of Bass Lake, CA, Cecilia Goldthorpe of Truckee, CA and Geraldine Bombaci of San Jose, CA). She is survived by her dear husband, Bruno Martino, of Morgan Hill, daughter Anne Marie Todd, and granddaughter Carmella Todd, both of Reno, NV, and two sisters (Therese Bakula of Walla Walla, WA and Phyllis Steele of Reno, NV.)

A visitation for Eugenia will be held Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary with Funeral service beginning at 1:00 PM. Interment immediately following at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Eugenia requested donations to one of the following charities: The Walter E. Schmidt Youth Activity Center in Santa Clara, CA, and/or St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.