Vera Reader

Obituaries

Frank Sordello

South Bay native Frank J. Sordello died of cancer in his Los Gatos home on June 6. He was 62.

Born to Italian immigrant parents on April 24, 1937, in Gilroy, Sordello grew up on a prune ranch. He helped put himself through college by working at the former Sunsweet fruit packing plant in Campbell and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Santa Clara University.

In 1960, Sordello was hired by IBM, beginning a nearly 40-year career in the computer disk drive industry. When he left IBM, it was to co-found Information Storage Systems, the first disk-drive start-up company, which was later acquired by Sperry-Univac.

From 1973 to 1975, he was a charter member of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Computer Peripherals, Components and Related Test Equipment technical advisory committee. In 1978, Sordello established an applied research center for Memorex and was elected the company's corporate vice president the following year.

Sordello even devoted some of his free time to the engineering field, teaching classes at IBM and serving as an adjunct professor at SCU's Institute for Information Storage Technology. In 1993, he received the university's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award. He also owned 44 patents, including the electronic tachometer.

Survivors include wife Anna Sordello of Los Gatos; sons Mike and Chris Sordello of Morgan Hill and Mark Sordello of San Jose; daughter Suzanne Sordello of San Jose; and seven grandchildren.

Donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1150 S. Bascom Ave. Suite 7-A, San Jose, 95128, or to St. Lucy's Church, 2350 S. Winchester Blvd., Campbell, 95008.

Henry Orsi

Local resident Henry J. Orsi died July 22. He served as the president and CEO of Giurlani Inc., the company where he worked for 32 years until his retirement six years ago.

Survivors include wife Esther Orsi; daughters and sons-in-law Tina Orsi-Hartigan and Jim Hartigan and Terri and Vess Trotter; and grandchildren Collin Hartigan and Jordan and Brianna Trotter.

Memorial services have been held. Donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1150 S. Bascom Ave. Suite 7-A, San Jose, 95128 or to a favorite charity.

Nan Freitas

Former Los Gatan Nan Barrett Mac-Millan Freitas died on Aug. 11 in Amarillo, Texas, where she had been residing. She was 60.

Freitas was born on April 17, 1939. She grew up in Los Gatos and graduated from Los Gatos High School. She later moved to San Francisco, where she became a founding member of the San Francisco Montessori School. Among her other interests were child-rearing, music, cultural arts, her pets, sewing, volunteer work, political activism, community service and religion.

Survivors include sons Matthew Freitas of Amarillo and Joshua Freitas of San Francisco; daughters Clare Freitas of San Rafael and Clementine Freitas Cowie of Golden, Colo.; grandsons Matthew, Alexander, Paul and Ian; brother Bart MacMillan of South Lake Tahoe and sister Margi Kavanaugh of San Jose.

Memorial services are pending.

Vera Reader

Longtime Los Gatos resident Vera Jean Reader died on Aug. 13 at the age of 96.

Born on June 28, 1903, in Selkirk, Manitoba, Reader moved to Los Gatos in 1945. She was a cookbook collector and gourmet cook who prepared dishes both professionally and for her family and friends. Reader also was a church organist and played organs in movie theaters during the silent film days. One of her favorite pastimes was the sport of curling, a game played on ice, at which she won several honors in her native Canada.

Reader was predeceased by her husband, Arthur Reader. Survivors include niece Judy Perkins of Morgan Hill, nephew Barry Wright of Corvallis, Ore., and other relatives.

Police Report

The history of Holy City

Obituaries

Picture From the Past

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