Mary (Maria Antónia) Rosa Giglitto 1938-2011

On February 27, a chapter in the Portuguese Community in San Diego came to a close, with the passing of Mary Giglitto. A woman of the highest stature, she will be missed on all facets of the community, for her way of being, and for being a force in the community for over fifty years.

Mary was the daughter of pioneering tuna fishing families in San Diego, having their origin the island of Pico and was married to Frank, her sweetheart from their student days. They had two children, Angela and Frank.

Professionally, Mary was a graduate of the University of San Diego with a degree in education and received a Masters from USIU. She was a teacher and superintendent in the San Diego Unified School District.

From a young age, she participated in community activities, and was one of the founders of the Cabrillo Festival, Inc., having been president several times, and became its most enthusiastic supporter before the Portuguese, Mexican, Spanish and U.S. governments, as well as the native American community. Her enthusiasm and diligence, was a factor in having the Cabrillo Festival become one of the premier international festivals in the United States. Mary was elected by acclamation, after her last term as president, with the title of “President Emerita”.

Her participation in promoting Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo, dates from the arrival of its statue in San Diego, when it is placed on the Point Loma peninsula, where a national monument was created to honor the Portuguese navigator at the service of Spain, the first European to come ashore on the western shores of what is now the United States. The participation of Cabrillo National Monument in the Cabrillo Festival dates from its beginning. Without this collaboration, Cabrillo Festival would not have had the success it has had.

From the beginning of the Festival, Mary was instrumental in involving the Portuguese Navy, through her contact with Admiral Sarmento Rodrigues, creating the position of a High Commissioner of the Festival to the government of Portugal, and whose permanent representative is the Portuguese Chief of Naval Staff.

Over the years, she coordinated the Miss Cabrillo contest and accompanied Miss Cabrillo Festival to Continental Portugal, Madeira and the Azores, where they met with highest entities, from the President of the Republic and regional governments, as well as many and varied government representatives.
Under Mary' guidance and with the cooperation of Mexican entities, the Cabrillo Festival, in Ensenada, Mexico, became a reality.

In the 1970’s, president Giglitto, invited the Spanish Community in San Diego to participate in the Cabrillo Festival, thus giving the Festival a truly international stature.

In 1978, and with the diligence exerted by Mary, the Sagres visits for the first time San Diego. In 1983, again due to her diligence, the Sagres returns to San Diego.

But it was not only Mary Rosa Giglitto’s participation in the Cabrillo Festival that led her to be recognized several times by the Portuguese government, including being the only woman with the honorary designation of “Admiral” in the Portuguese Navy, from whom she received the Necklace of the Vasco da Gama Medal. She also, received the Prince Henry the Navigator Medal, with a grade of Commander and the Medal of the Order of Public Instruction.

Her interest in education and bi-lingual programs, leeds her to coordinate, in more than one occasion, statewide conferences dealing with education, and to participate in several international conferences.

As a member of the community, she was an exemplary president of the Portuguese Historical Center, served on the board of directors of the Portuguese Hall, helped coordinate the Holy Spirit parades for many years, and served as a mentor for innumerable young people in the community. Equally, she served in various positions in organizations in the American community, including designing several award winning floats for the “Mother Goose Parade” in El Cajon, California.

After her retirement, and at the request of the Pastor at St. Agnes church, she became a religious instructor for young people, preparing for Confirmation.

Mary Rosa Giglitto was an exceptional person. She was a women with great will, possessing rare virtues and personal capacities, who knew well the direction that she wanted to take things. She was a woman of rare qualities that the Portuguese Community will never be able to replace.

A defender of all things Portuguese, enjoying the highest affection from the community, Mary Rosa Gigitto will never be forgotten by a community that she served so well and where she led an exemplary life.

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No dia 27 de Fevereiro, fechou-se um capítulo na comunidade portuguesa em San Diego, com o falecimento de Maria (Mary) Antónia Rosa Giglitto. Uma grande mulher, a sua falta será sentida em todas as facetas da comunidade, pois a sua maneira de ser foi uma força viva por mais de cinquenta anos.

Filha duma das famílias pioneiras na faina da pesca de atum em San Diego, oriundos da Ilha do Pico, Mary era casada com Frank, que conheceu nos seus tempos de estudantes. Tiveram dois filhos, Ângela e Frank.

Profissionalmente, Mary Giglitto era formada pela Universidade de San Diego como educadora e recebeu o Mestrado pela USIU. Foi educadora e directora no sistema escolar em San Diego.

Desde da sua juventude participou em actividades comunitárias, tendo-se distinguido, como um dos fundadores do Festival Cabrillo, do qual por várias vezes foi presidente, tornando-se o seu principal impulsionadora perante os governos português, mexicano, espanhol, americano e a comunidade indígena americana. O seu entusiasmo e diligência, fez com que o Festival Cabrillo seja reconhecido como um dos principais festivais internacionais nos Estados Unidos. Foi eleita por aclamação depois do seu último termo como presidente, com o título de “Presidente Emérita”.

A sua participação com a estátua a João Rodrigues Cabrillo data da sua chegada a San Diego, quando é colocada no alto da península Point Loma e a criação do parque nacional em honra do português ao serviço de Espanha, que foi o primeiro europeu a pisar as terras do Oeste dos Estados Unidos. A participação do Cabrillo National Monument no Festival Cabrillo data do início do festival, tendo esta participação sido proeminente no êxito do festival.

Desde logo, Mary Giglitto teve o cuidado de envolver a Marinha Portuguesa através de contactos com o Almirante Sarmento Rodrigues, criando a posição de Alto-comissário do Festival Cabrillo perante o governo português, cujo representante é o Chefe de Estado Maior da Armada.

Ao longo dos anos coordenou o concurso de Miss Cabrillo e acompanhou a Miss a Portugal Continental, Madeira, e Açores, onde se reuniu com as mais altas entidades desde o Presidente da República e Governos Regionais, assim como com os mais variados representantes governamentais.

Conjuntamente com entidades mexicanas, orientou a organização do Festival Cabrillo, em Ensenada, México.

Nos anos 70, convida a comunidade espanhola em San Diego a participar no Festival Cabrillo, altura em que o festival atingiu a designação de ser um verdadeiro festival internacional.

Em 1978, é através das diligências de Mary Giglitto que a Sagres, visita pela primeira vez visita San Diego. Em 1983, e novamente com as suas diligências, a Sagres regressa a San Diego.

Mas não foi só o Festival Cabrillo que levou Mary Rosa Giglitto a ser reconhecida por várias vezes pelo governo português, incluindo ser a única mulher com o título honorário de “Almirante” na Marinha Portuguesa, tendo recebido o Colar “Medalha Naval Vasco da Gama”, a Comenda da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique, assim como a Medalha da Ordem de Instrução Pública.

O seu interesse pela educação e programas bilingue, levam-na a coordenar por mais de uma vez encontros estatais sobre a educação e a participar em conferências educacionais a nível internacional.

Como membro da comunidade, foi presidente do Centro Histórico Português, onde prestou relevante serviço, fez parte da direcção do Salão Português, ajudou a coordenar o desfile do Espírito Santo por largos anos, e serviu de mentor para inúmeras jovens na comunidade. De igual modo serviu em vários cargos em organizações na comunidade americana, incluindo ter desenhado vários carros alegóricos premiados, que se exibiram no desfile anual da “Mother Goose Parade” em El Cajon, Califórnia.

Depois de se aposentar, e a pedido do pastor da Igreja de Santa Inês, leccionou os jovens na sua preparação para o Crisma.

Mary Rosa Giglitto, era uma pessoa excepcional. Mulher com grande força de vontade, dotada de raras virtudes e capacidades pessoais, conhecia e sabia a direcção em que queria levar as coisas. Foi um a mulher de raras qualidades, que a comunidade portuguesa em San Diego jamais poderá repor.

Defensora de tudo quanto era português, altamente querida pela comunidade, Mary Rosa Giglitto, jamais será esquecida, por uma comunidade que tão bem serviu e onde viveu exemplarmente toda a sua vida.

José M. L. Alves

In Tribuna Portuguesa 03/16/11

See related article posted on January 13, 2010
See also articled by Daniel A. Silva, printed in the Bulletin of the Portuguese Historical Center  http://www.phcsandiego.com/newsletter.html


The following eulogy was written and read on Monday, March 7, 2011, by Consul Edmundo Macedo, during the Mass celebrated at St. Agnes Church in San Diego - which was full - in honor and memory of the very much missed Mary Giglitto, President Emerita of Cabrillo Festival.

(Escrito e lido na Segunda-Feira,  7 de Março de 2011,  por  Edmundo Macedo,  durante a Missa celebrada na Igreja de Santa Inês, de San Diego  -- que se encontrava repleta --  em homenagem à memória da saudosa Mary Giglitto, Presidente Emérita do Festival Cabrilho). 

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Mary Rosa Giglitto...

I like to call her ... "Our Mary".

And ... "Our Mary" was a special lady! 

To her Family she was an invincible fortress!

To her friends she was the epitome of loyal! 

Mary Giglitto was restless in the pursuit of doing things! And she was relentless in the pursuit of doing things the right way. She was never in doubt. She was never to be doubted. She wouldn't accept defeat. She would even triumph over defeat. She would fight and prevail. 

She had two babies: Angela and Frank Junior. And, for uncountable decades, she carried her third baby   - the Cabrillo Festival -  through peaks and valleys, under the sun or exposed to the violent storm, but always, firmly, always well protected under her "umbrella", always well protected under her awesome "wingspan"  - and that, my friends ... was the wingspan of an eagle!   

Mary launched, assembled and refined Cabrillo Festival to such levels and to such distinction, brightness and consequence that the Festival transformed itself into a blessed gathering of four Nations expressing to the world their appreciation for courage and bravery.

The courage and the bravery of those who challenged the seas and reached new land. 

Our Mary gained the utmost respect of the Portuguese Navy and the respect of the Spanish, the Mexican and the American Navys. In more clear and precise terms, Mary Giglitto was ultimately viewed with some degree of reverence by Portugal, Spain, Mexico and the United States. 

Praise, she never asked for. But praise never ceased to come by, because she was well worthy of it, and therefore the righteous people would never deny it.   

Medals, she never asked for. But medals kept coming in, because she deserved them, all of them, and therefore the righteous people would simply bestow them on our Mary. 

Within the prestigious and hard-working Portuguese and Luso-American Community of San Diego, Mary Giglitto stood humble and kind, tall and mighty, loving and caring. 

In the short minutes I have ... it's not possible to describe, explain or portray "our Mary".

Actually, I'm not sure if anyone could possibly describe, explain or portray her, now or ever.  

But then again, I wish I could paint Mary ... so that her unique soft smile would never be forgotten? 

My wife and I had a relationship with Mary Giglitto that lasted and inspired both of us for almost 31 years. It did inspire us because she was a lady nothing short of inspirational.

And we feel grateful and honored for the love Mary devoted on us. 

Our deepest condolences to the Giglitto and the Rosa families. 

Rest in peace, dear Mary.

The following video was produced by Leanne Wright, Miss Cabrillo, 1995. It was edited as part of the presentation in memory of Mary R. Gilgitto during the Miss Cabrillo Pageant 2011. 

A truly memorable compilation of Mary Giglitto's contribution to the Cabrillo Festival, the promoting of Miss Cabrillo as an ambassador of the Cabrillo Festival and most importantly, to remember the pearl that was Mary, amidst the San Diego Community.