Barbara Martinelli

Barbara Marie Martinelli After celebrating her 88th birthday this summer, Barbara Martinelli died Saturday, September 11, in San Francisco. She was born June 17, 1922, in Watsonville, the third child of Leask and Gladys Sheehy Martinelli. Barbara was predeceased by her sister Patricia Dooling and brother Charles Martinelli. Barbara graduated in political science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1944. She immediately went to work in San Francisco, beginning a forty-four year career with the Southern Pacific Railroad in the ticket office at Third & Townsend. She eventually became one of the firm's first female vice-presidents; in charge of corporate travel, Barbara literally traveled around the world. After retiring from the SP she continued working and became a founding member of what is now known at the Bay Area Business Travel Association. Visiting Europe several times, Central America, China, and parts of the Middle East, Barbara was a great traveler. She was an inveterate reader, and during retirement became a docent of the San Francisco Library. A member of St Dominic's, she attended early Mass so she could watch sports, for which she had a passion, on Sunday mornings. She will be missed by a multitude of friends, most notably her oldest and dearest friend, Arnold Lavagetto, as well as Ashley Ferry and Kathryn Hobart. Barbara is survived by her nieces Mimi Crumpton, Barbara McBain, Ellen Martinelli, and her nephews Gregory Martinelli and Fr Patrick Dooling as well as many grand nephews and nieces and great grand nephews, family and friends. A memorial Mass will be offered for her at 11:30 Friday, September 17, at St Dominic's Church 2390 Bush Street, San Francisco.