Alcario "Al" Castellano

Devoted Father, Historian, Community Activist, Philanthropist and Leader
A native of Artesia, New Mexico, Al Castellano transcended his humble beginnings as a farmworker and grocery clerk to live an incredible life where he shone as a community activist and volunteer, philanthropist, and historian. To him, his most important role was that of a loving husband, father and grandfather to his family.
Al Castellano was born in Artesia, New Mexico in 1934, the son of Cirilo Castellano of Artesia, New Mexico and Trinidad Castellano of Chihuahua, Mexico. When he was eight years old, he and his family made their way to California, landing with family in Visalia, where they picked cotton. They ultimately settled in Hollister where his family worked as farmworkers. As the oldest son, throughout high school he worked nights at a local grocery store to help the family. Due to having a flexible boss, he was able to provide for the family while also playing on the high school basketball team and playing the trumpet in the band. He is a graduate of Hollister High School. Al served in the U.S. Army in the 1950s. After he was discharged, he found a job with a crystal-making company in Hollister and later worked in Palo Alto and Santa Cruz in the aerospace industry.
Al was married for 57 years to his life-partner, Carmen Castellano, whom he met at a friend's out-of-town wedding, offering her a ride home to Watsonville, California, where she was born and raised. He soon decided she had all of the attributes he was looking for in a wife and mother and asked her to marry him. Carmen passed away in 2020.
After their marriage, they made their home in Capitola and eventually moved to San Jose in the mid- 1960s. They had to overcome housing discrimination, yet eventually found a home to buy in San Jose's Cambrian Park neighborhood. Here they raised their three children: Maria West, Carmela Castellano- Garcia and Armando Castellano. Education was important to the Castellanos, and all three of their children graduated from college and pursued graduate degrees. The arts were an important part of their family's life. Their children are dancers and musicians. Al and Carmen were immensely proud of their children, who have achieved success in their careers and in their Foundation work. They also took great joy in attending sporting, music and educational events of their grandchildren. Al was delighted with the birth of his only great-grandchild in 2024 whom he referred to as "Carmelita," as she carries the middle name Carmen.
Al had a 25-year career as a grocery clerk at Safeway, starting in the 1970s, after experiencing layoffs in the aerospace industry. Carmen began her long career as executive secretary at San Jose City College. As an active member of the broader San Jose community, Al made significant contributions to the documentation of Silicon Valley's Chicano community in from the 1980s-1990s, largely through his affiliation with the San Jose Gl Forum. Al's long history with the American Gl Forum began in 1982 when he joined the San Jose Chapter. His daughter, Carmela, became Miss San Jose and National Queen of the American Gl Forum in 1983. From 1982 to 1999, Al videotaped various San Jose Gl Forum events, including Cinco de Mayo and 16 de Septiembre festivities, parade award luncheons, and other Latino community activities. Al curated several art shows during the Fiestas Patrias and Cinco de Mayo celebrations, which gave a unique opportunity for local Latino artists to have a platform to showcase their art. Through his videotaping and photography, he documented many local community events, including parades, music and dance performances, youth events, and public interest gatherings. Those videotapes, along with other digital videos, photographs and the Castellano Family Foundation papers, are now part of the Castellano Family Collection held by the San Jose State University Library and the San Jose Public Library at the MLK Jr. Main Library downtown. These photos and videos represent the only comprehensive archive of Chicano life in San Jose during the 1980s and 1990s.
Al has been a volunteer and community activist for decades. He was a big supporter of local parades and community initiatives. He was a member of the Steering Committee which led to the development of the School of Arts and Culture, at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. He was very attached to this organization and supported it in many ways, including the funding of an annual Christmas Tree and an annual tree-lighting ceremony for the community. He served on the board of directors of Latinas Contra Cancer, the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Gl Forum. He was a strong supporter of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations in San Jose. In recent years he led efforts behind the scenes to reprise the Cinco de Mayo celebrations for the community in San Jose. These efforts led to him serving as Grand Marshall in the Cinco de Mayo parade in 2024 - the first to occur after years of Al pushing the community to revive the effort.
Al made headlines on Sunday morning in June 2001 when he realized he held the only winning ticket to the California Lottery jackpot. He won the California State Lottery's Super Lotto Plus, taking home a prize of $141 million - the largest single winner prize in the history of the California State Lottery. This monumental win enabled Al and Carmen to establish the Castellano Family Foundation in November of 2001, supporting nonprofit organizations serving Santa Clara County. The Foundation worked to promote Latino arts and culture, help Latino youth and youth of color achieve their educational goals, and invest in the leadership development of Latinos and their nonprofit partners. Over a period of 22 years, the Foundation became a prominent philanthropic force, awarding more than $10 million to over 150 organizations. Al and Carmen were very community-oriented philanthropists, opening their home for local fundraisers, sitting down annually with grantees, and attending many grantee community events in Silicon Valley.
The Foundation also vaulted the Castellanos to the forefront of a nationwide conversation about the inequities in philanthropic funding for nonprofits - especially those run by and serving people of color. Their goal in philanthropy was to empower and uplift the Latino community of Silicon Valley and beyond. While his wife, Carmen, was the driving force behind the creation of the Foundation, Al was by her side as an equal partner for the first ten years. After that, in 2011, Al asked his three children to join the foundation board with his wife, as he stepped aside and let the next generation lead. Al's spirit of generosity and community empowerment continued to be a driving force behind the foundation until its sunset in 2023.
Al passed away at the age of 90 years old, peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on the evening of April 26, 2025, after suffering a recurrence of sepsis. Al will be lovingly remembered by his children Maria (Jeff), Carmela (Angel) and Armando (Andrea). He will also be remembered fondly by his five grandchildren, Christina (Kyle), Arris, David, Andries and Wim, and his great-granddaughter, Siena, and by his sibling, Mary Castellano, his sister-in-law, Mary Cruz Castellano, along with his nieces and nephews. Al was predeceased by his brothers, Ismael (Lorraine) and David Castellano, and his sister, Dominga Valdez (Robert).
Private services will be held in memory of Al. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Please include "Alcario and Carmen Castellano/SVCF Community Fund" in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to SVCF, Attn: Gifts Department, 444 Castro Street, Suite 140, Mountain View, CA 94041