MARY ELEANOR SPINOLA MENGHINI Passed from this life on Friday, July 21, 2006. Born in Oakland on December 30, 1918, Eleanor was one of thirteen children born to Joseph Carvalho Spinola and Lenore Gonsalves Spinola, immigrants from Madera, Portugal. Eleanor had a keen, sharp mind and loved working with numbers. Before her retirement, she worked as a church secretary for St. Felicitas Catholic Church in San Leandro and Our Lady of Grace Church in Castro Valley. Her greatest joys in life were in giving to her family whether it was time, money or cooking her famous home-grown fava beans and her fabulous chocolate pie. She was a wonderful cook, and she lovingly filled her family's special requests for their favorite foods. Her zest for life, no nonsense attitude and kind soul were an inspiration to all who knew her. She left this life just as she lived it.....on her own terms and with an unwavering faith. She will truly be missed. Eleanor was the beloved mother of Jacqueline Menghini Pickard, Patricia Menghini Walters and Lydel Walters, and Marylou Menghini Raduly and John Raduly. She was the loving grandmother of Mary Pickard Camacho, Michael Joseph Picard and Patricia Chesterman Picard, Cathy Pickard, Jill Pickard Di Piazza and Paul Di Piazza, Nathan Walters, and Michelle Vieira Walters, Allison Walters Skoglund and Erik Skoglund, and Meghan Walters; Doting great grandmother of April and Kaitlyn Camacho, Michelle and Stephanie Baca, Zachary Picard and Tamara Ott, Ryan and Casey Pickard, Caeton Roche, Benjamin Picard, Joshua, Jacqueline, and Gina Di Piazza; Precious great great grandmother of Jadyn Ott Pickard; Devoted sister of Lucille and Edwin Peterson. Also survived by her special nieces and nephews, relatives and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Edward Menghini in 1985. A funeral mass will be held on Monday at 11:30 am at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 3433 Somerset Ave., Castro Valley. Interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery will be on Tuesday at 10am at the receiving chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Augustinian Guild, 3266 Nutmeg Street, San Diego, CA 92104. Grissom's Chapel & Mortuary 510-278-2800 www.grissomsmortuary.com.

Alameda Times-Star 7/23/06.