Carmen Nancy Castellano

1939 - 2020

Carmen Nancy Castellano
April 22, 1939 - July 18, 2020
Resident of Saratoga and San Jose
Devoted mother, Community Activist, Philanthropist and Leader

Born and raised in Watsonville, California, Carmen Nancy Castellano is the daughter of Ramon Ramirez of Jamay, Mexico and Lucille Ramirez of Bakersfield, California. She has five siblings. Carmen's father had a third grade education and ran a successful fertilizer trucking business, Ramirez Trucking in Watsonville. Her mother was a homemaker until the age of 47 when she purchased a small grocery store in Pajaro, California called the Mexico Meat Market, which she successfully ran for twenty years. Carmen attended Notre Dame High School in Watsonville and graduated from Heald Business College.

Carmen's love of the arts began as a young girl with ten years of piano lessons and years of ballet, tap, baton twirling and acrobatics lessons. She grew up in a home filled with music by a mother who loved classical music and opera.

Carmen began her career at Cabrillo College in 1959 as secretary to the Chief Instructional Officer, Floyd Younger, who hired her before the college first opened. She moved to San Jose in 1966 and she began a 35-year career as an executive secretary at San Jose City College (SJCC). She served in various leadership positions at the college including Faculty Senate Secretary and Secretary to the VP of Student Services and from there went on to serve as the Executive Secretary to four different SJCC presidents before retiring in 2002. During her tenure at SJCC, Carmen was a strong leader and advocate for Latinos, serving as a mentor and advisor to countless students and colleagues. She was a founder and President of the Latino Education Association, an advocacy group for Latino students and staff. She was a founding member of the college's Affirmative Action Committee and played an influential role in developing the district's first affirmative action policies. She also served as president of the Classified Council for several years. She considered the classified staff the backbone of the college and she was proud to have had the opportunity to champion their causes and be their voice. In 2012, Carmen was honored by the college community with the dedication of a building named in her honor -- the Carmen Castellano Fine Arts Center. Carmen saw the dedication as a tribute not only to her, but to the unsung heroes who came before her.

Carmen was married for 57 years to her life-partner Alcario "Al" Castellano. They bought their home in 1966 in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose. Al and Carmen were very much focused on the education and development of their three children. Their decades of volunteerism began with their leadership roles within home and school clubs and band boosters. Carmen was very proud of her childrens' educational achievements. Her eldest daughter, Maria West, has an undergraduate degree in Theater Arts and a Master's in Business Administration, both from San Jose State University. Her daughter, Carmela Castellano-Garcia, has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley and is a graduate of Yale Law School. Her son, Armando Castellano, has an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a Master's in Music from Manhattan School of Music. Her children were all exposed to the arts with music and dance lessons at an early age. Maria and Carmela were professional Mexican folk dancers in high school with Los Lupeños de San Jose. Armando became a professional French horn musician and founded two musical groups, including Quinteto Latino.

In June of 2001, life changed for Carmen when Al won the California lottery and the largest jackpot in the country at that time - $141 million dollars. By December of that year, the Castellanos had established a family foundation that since then has granted over $6.5 million to local nonprofits. The Castellano Family Foundation is dedicated to the cultivation and enrichment of Latino family values, the Latino community, and leaders of color through its support for local organizations that advance education, arts and culture, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion. Over the past 19 years, the Foundation has supported over 200 such organizations in the Santa Clara Valley.

As a philanthropist, Carmen took a very community-oriented approach to her grant making, developing a direct relationship with grantees and supporting them with core funding. She also required that boards of directors of organizations supported by the foundation reflect the community they served. Carmen was a relentless advocate within California and nationally in promoting the need for philanthropy to provide greater support and funding to Latino organizations and causes. As the leader of one of very few Latino family foundations in the country, Carmen became a vocal advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within philanthropy, encouraging people of color to speak up for their community and to call out the inequities caused by racism and discrimination. She proudly became and often referred to herself as the "the brown face of philanthropy." In 2013, Al stepped down from the foundation board and Carmen's children – Maria, Carmela, and Armando – joined her as trustees. Since that time, Carmen and her children have continued the legacy of giving.

After winning the lotto, Carmen and Al were able to travel the country and the world. They lived comfortably and were generous with their children, family, and community. Carmen continued to be very generous with her time, serving on local and national boards of directors of organizations near and dear to her heart including the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), Los Lupeños de San Jose, and the Chicana Latina Foundation, where she served with her daughter Carmela.

Carmen Castellano was a role model and mentor to many people in the community. From students at San Jose City College to fellow philanthropists, foundation CEOs, elected officials, and other community leaders. Carmen's influence was far-reaching and she touched many lives. Within her extended family, Carmen was very much revered. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, auntie and sister. She was always very generous with her love, time and attention, making people feel comfortable with her as someone they could confide in, trust and count on. Her home was a favorite destination for her nephews and nieces. She was greatly loved and admired.

Carmen Castellano was an exceptional human being who lived an exemplary life. She was dedicated to her family and to her community. Her strong values and big heart guided her in everything she did. When she saw a need, she wanted to help as much as she could. She inspired others through her generosity, dedication and fighting spirit.

Carmen passed away on July 18, 2020. She courageously endured 30 years of chronic kidney disease and spent the last five years of her life on dialysis. Her strength and love of life and family carried her through to the end.

Carmen will be lovingly remembered by her husband Alcario Castellano and their children Maria (Jeff), Carmela (Angel), and Armando (Andrea). Carmen will also be remembered fondly by her five grandchildren Christina (Kyle), Arris, David, Andries and Wim, and by her siblings, Lillian Hanson, Gloria (Manuel) Martinez and Richard (Marie) Ramirez, and her nieces and nephews. Carmen was predeceased by her brother Robert Gonzalez and her sister, Dolores Ramirez.
Private services will be held in memory of Carmen. A memorial celebration of life will held in the future. In memory of Carmen and in lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to these organizations: School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, CA 95116 or MACLA, 510 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113.


View the online memorial for Carmen Nancy Castellano