Margaret Machado

Margaret (Tognazzini) Machado
1929 – 2025
Margaret (Tognazzini) Machado, 96, of Lemoore, CA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children, on August 16, 2025 at Kaweah Delta Hospital in Visalia, CA.
Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Margaret lived a life defined by love, resilience, grace, and a sly sense of humor.
Born January 25, 1929 in Santa Maria, CA during the depths of the Great Depression, Margaret's early years were marked by both hardship and beauty. She was the second daughter of Guido Jack Tognazzini and Desolina Grace Bianchi. She was the granddaughter of John and Racilla Tognazzini who came to this country from Someo, Switzerland in 1899 and helped to settle the township of Edna in the pristine Edna Valley, nestled between San Luis Obispo and the Pacific Ocean. Margaret was just 18 months old when her mother, Desolina, tragically passed away. She and her four-year-old sister, Zene, went to live with loving relatives on the family dairy ranch in Edna - a place filled with goats, gardens, and the simple joys of community - while their father, Guido, went to work in the Cuyama oil fields east of Santa Maria.
Margaret grew into a young woman with an artistic soul and a head for numbers, a rare and powerful combination. She loved art but also found herself drawn to business and accounting. In her senior year at Santa Maria High School, she was allowed to leave school an hour early every Thursday to work for a Public Accountant. This laid the groundwork for the industriousness that would define her life, enrolling in Business School after graduation. Later in life she studied art the College of the Sequoias, followed by a stint at California State University, Fresno. Margaret had a very curious mind and loved to learn.
After World War II, Margaret married the love of her life, Isadore "Izzy" Machado, a Navy Submariner recently returned from the Pacific Theater. During the next 8 years, they built not just a family but also a business together. With Izzy's vision and Margaret's business expertise, they launched Machado Dusters, an aerial agriculture company that grew from a single crop duster on the coast to a thriving enterprise in the Central Valley during the time when cotton became king.
Theirs was a true partnership - filled with hard work, adventure, and celebration. From their home in Lemoore, CA, they raised their three children in the town's first subdivision, filling their home with warmth, laughter, and the smell of home-cooked meals. Margaret had a gift for creating beauty in every detail - whether it was wrapping a perfect gift, decorating a room, or bringing people together.
Margaret was also deeply committed to her community. She served on the Ex Animo Club, a charitable group, as well as the Kings Guild, a fundraising arm for the Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno, CA. And she was a lifelong supporter of the Catholic Church. In the early 1960s, she and Izzy helped with fundraising to build the first private Catholic school in Lemoore (Mary Immaculate Queen) and recruit Sisters of Mercy teaching nuns from Ennis, Ireland. While her two sons attended MIQ from the first year it opened through 8th grade, Margaret continued to support the school as a member of the mothers club, Las Madrinas. And later in life, Margaret supported the building of the new St. Peter's church.
In later years, Margaret opened The 1910 Gift Shop in downtown Lemoore, continuing her community support and bringing beauty to others through fine jewelry, china, and unique gifts. She later earned her real estate license and embraced technology with gusto - mastering home computers, texting, emojis, and Facebook long before many of her peers. She cherished staying connected with her family, keeping up with every milestone and memory through group texts and social media. She earned the "coolest mom in town" award from her sons when one of them asked for the new Rolling Stone record in '66, and she surprised them with tickets to see the rock band live at the Hollywood Bowl at ages 11 and 14.
Life wasn't all work - Margaret belonged to several clubs, including a gourmet club that she and Izzy started with their friends. She made lifelong friends and memories in her bridge groups, and continued to play bridge well into her 90s, her sharp mind and competitive spirit never wavering. She played tennis with family, and later at the Kings Racket Club. She avidly followed professional tennis, especially Swiss legend Roger Federer, and she followed baseball as a Dodgers fan, with special emphasis on her favorite, Sandy Koufax.
Margaret was an intrepid traveling companion with Izzy, venturing widely across 9 countries and the territory of American Samoa. They visited the Pyramids along the Nile, as well as Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland. Their adventures included some amazing sites, such Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico - where Margaret and Izzy climbed up and down the 365 steps of the 79 foot tall step-pyramid called Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico - and another time they braved a two hour mule ride down an 1800 ft cliff, to Kalaupapa Peninsula on the island of Moloka'i. They shared unforgettable moments, from a Hawaiian cruise where Margaret won a beauty contest, to spontaneous trips to Avila Beach, to simple evenings spent with family and friends.
In 1961, Margaret and Izzy moved to Australia to explore agricultural possibilities in cotton, living there for almost a year. While there, she learned to knit from her good friend and neighbor, Gray. Once back home in America, she followed her motto "If you're going to do something, do it well" - practicing and practicing until it was just right. Her life was a tapestry of laughter, elegance, beauty, and joy.
Margaret was preceded in death by her husband Izzy and her sister, Zene Rabska. She is survived by her loving children: Judy McLauchlin, Matt Machado (Ellen), and Pat Machado; as well as 7 grandchildren: Tom Higgins, Erica Landis-Dahlke, Alex Funk, Sydney Gonsalves, Hayley Machado, Michael Machado and Meghan Machado; plus 5 great-grandchildren: Isis Joyce, Hanna Dahlke, Desolina Dahlke, Araya Machado and Thaddeus Machado; her two nephews Bill Rabska (Kandy) and Don Rabska (Judy); and her sweet kitty, Bucky. Margaret's love, strength, and devotion to her family will be forever felt.
A celebration of Margaret's remarkable life will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, with 9 am mass at St. Peters Catholic Church (870 N. Lemoore Ave, Lemoore, CA); followed by graveside services at 10 am at Lemoore Cemetery (1441 N. Lemoore Ave, Lemoore, CA).
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Valley Children's Hospital (559-353-3000) or The Parkinson's Foundation (800-473-4636), both organizations that Margaret supported passionately throughout her life.
Rest well, Margaret. You were, and always will be, the heart of your family and a light to everyone who knew you.