Eva Fruit

Eva Amada Gallegos Fruit died on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at St. Mary’s Hospital. Her loving family was at her side throughout her final days. Eva was a native Coloradoan born in Alamo, Colorado in Huerfano County. She was the 11th of 16 children. Since her father was a coal miner, they lived in many towns in Colorado, ie., Trinidad, Solar, La Veta and Walsenburg. The family then moved to Fruita, Cameo and Mt. Harris finally settling in Mt. Harris in 1933 then Grand Junction in 1944 after her father had retired.

Eva entered the third grade in Mt. Harris, graduated from the eighth grade and going on to attend and graduate from Hayden Union High School in 1944. She was very active in the music programs both in grade school and high school. She participated in all the school music competitions in Hayden and Steamboat Springs. After graduation from high school, she moved to Denver to attend Business College, but one month into her school year, her father became ill so the president of the university refunded her tuition and she started working for the Denver District Attorney. She then worked at Lowry Air Force Base in the laboratory and then was promoted to the Flight Engineer School. In 1945, her sister-in-law passed away leaving seven children who were then adopted by her elderly parents and Eva quit her job in Denver and returned to Grand Junction to help out the family. She was employed at C.D. Smith Company for seven years under Sterling and Burrell Smith as well as Del Willis. In 1952, she started working at the VA Hospital under the supervision of Tom Christy and Dr. Geno Saccamanno. She was loaned out to another Federal Agency to do secretarial work for the Ute Indian Trials versus the Federal Government. In addition, she worked part-time in Surgery and Physical Therapy. She was then promoted to Supply Secretary then onto the Secretary to the Directors of the hospital. In 1966 when the Grand Junction VA Hospital was being considered for closing, all employees were advised to secure transfers to other hospitals, she applied to the VA Hospital in San Francisco for both herself and her late husband Sid. Both were hired immediately; he as the Carpenter Shop Foreman and she as the secretary to the Chief of Medicine. She worked there until her promotion and she transferred to the VA Hospital in Martinez, CA. She retired from the VA in 1984 at which time she moved to the University of California, San Francisco and was assigned as the Administrative Assistant to the Chairman of the Department of Medicine where she remained until her retirement in 1992.

In 1987, she was privileged to be selected to sing in the choir in San Francisco when Pope John Paul II made his visit to San Francisco. The Mass was written by Dave Brubeck. She was one of the few who met him face-to-face at the Cathedral. Her comments always were that this face was so beautiful. This was a particularly traumatic time for her since her 14 year old granddaughter had been murdered in May of that year.

She was an outstanding secretary; this was proven by the Superior Performance Awards she received year after year. Her goal was to become the best possible secretary and she felt she had accomplished her goal. She joined the National Secretaries Association (NSA) International. In this capacity, she served as the corresponding secretary then went to serve as their president. She was selected as Secretary of the Year for the Bookcliff Chapter in Grand Junction and competed for the same title for the Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana Division. She was also selected as Secretary of the Year for the Golden Gate Chapter in San Francisco and competed for the State of Colorado.

She and her husband returned to Grand Junction in 1993. She volunteered at the VA Hospital here in the Library. She then began another career with Sears, but that was short-lived because her husband became ill. She continued to volunteer at St. Joseph’s Church where she served on the Funeral Committee. She was a lector, a Eucharistic Minister, and sang in the Adult Choir for 55 years (part of this was done at St. Andrew’s Choir in Daly City, CA). She also served as a lector there. In addition, she served as secretary at the annual meeting of the National Endocrinology Association at the Ronald McDonald House in Santa Barbara, CA; joined NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association) in 1993, served as secretary and Newsletter editor of Grand Junction Chapter 351 and became the Chapter President in 1998, a post she held until 2018. She also served as the Colorado Federation Secretary for one year.

Eva was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Sid, her parents, Julian and Amalia Gallegos, 12 brothers, Valentine, Herman, Sam, Eugenio, Florentino I and II, Urvaldo, Walter, David and Gene, sisters Edemia Rooks, Otilia Gallegos, Josie Hyre and Stella Rice as well as two grandchildren, Yvonne Fruit and Victoria Rose O’Campo. Survivors include two daughters, Rebecca Susan Grenci (Bruno) and Amy O’Campo both of Grand Junction; sisters Sarah Nolan of Grand Junction, Marye Lucero (Lee/deceased) of Mesquite NV, Romelia Lewis (Jerry/deceased) of Jacksonvile, FL, Barbara Castillo of West Valley City, UT, brothers Joe (Nancy) of Meridian, ID, Roy of Santa Fe, NM and Gary (Lynette) of Grand Junction. Also, granddaughters Amieanne Grenci (Ramon) and Susan Grenci Nazario (Carlos), grandsons, Michael O’Campo, Donald (Sara) O’Campo, and Matthew O’Campo, five great granddaughters, Eva Marie Allen, Pearl, Poppy and Penelope Nazario, Rio and Remi Varela and Allison O’Campo and one great grandson Ramon Varela, Jr.

Eva was admired and loved by her many friends and her family and will miss her when they enter the TV room and her chair will be empty.

There will be a viewing and Rosary on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 6:00 pm at Callahan/Edfast Mortuary. Her funeral will be on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Burial will be at a later date at Western Colorado Veterans Cemetery with her husband Sid.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.callahan-edfast.com for the Fruit family.