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.
The family will receive their friends on Thursday evening between the hours of 5:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. at the chapel of the Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral Home 870 San Benito St., Hollister.
Family and friends will meet at Sacred Heart Church 5th & College Streets, Hollister on Friday at 10:45 A.M. for a memorial Mass Of The Resurrection beginning at 11:00 A.M. Entombment will follow at Calvary Mausoleum. Donations are preferred to the Eugenia Flores Memorial Scholarship Fund or to the Visiting Nurses/Hospice Assn, c/o the mortuary chapel.
