Eleanor Agnes Van Overen (1929 - 2023)

Ellie was born December 1, 1929 to Manuel and Eleanor Gonsalves who emigrated to America from Madeira, and operated a family dairy farm in Santa Clara where Ellie was reared as the sixth of their seven children.

As a young girl Eleanor was nicknamed “Ducky” by her siblings because she was always happy and singing to herself.

In 1952, Ellie met her husband of 55 years, Arthur Van Overen, while playing across from each other on the ping-pong table at a local USO mixer while Art was stationed as a Navy sailor at Moffett Field.

Ellie was exceptional in math and enjoyed helping her 10 children with their studies.

When their last child was established in school Ellie decided to join the workforce and took a job at Digital Equipment Corp. where she was able to stay on as her department went through a series of acquisitions, eventually becoming a division of Hewlett Packard, from which she eventually retired.

Ellie was active in the community, especially at St Joseph’s of Cupertino Catholic Church and School where she volunteered, and later sat as the local chapter President of the Young Ladies Institute.

Steven Manuel Van Overen (1957 - 2021)

Arriving on December 27, 1957 at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, California, Steven Manuel Van Overen was the second of the 10 children born to Arthur and Eleanor Van Overen of Cupertino, California.

A happy, earnest child, Steven’s freckled face and red hair reflected the iconic image of the “all-American boy” imortalized in Norman Rockwell paintings.

Steven loved to play sports and all activities that involved running, jumping and chasing. He played on basketball teams at St. Joseph’s of Cupertino school and at Archibishop Mitty High School in San Jose.

His love of organized sports carried well into his adult years as he played organized softball in leagues and tournaments throughout Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. Most notably, Steve was the long-time second baseman on Mountain Mike’s team in San Jose where he earned the nickname “Sammy” due to his red beard that was reminiscent of the Warner Brothers character Yosemite Sam.

In his long, successful career, Steve held positions as a Vice President at Bank of America while in his twenties, a Six Sigma Black Belt at General Electric Corporation in his thirties, and was in a managment position at Wells Fargo before the long battle with cancer ended his career.

Arthur Earl Van Overen (1930 - 2009)

A resident of Cupertino, California for 50 years, Arthur Earl Van Overen was a devoted father of ten children, loving husband to his wife Eleanor and supportive companion to his extended family and large circle of friends.

The oldest of four children born to Martin and Gertrude Van Overen of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Arthur moved to California in 1957 with his wife Eleanor whom he met playing table tennis at the USO while in the US Navy stationed at Moffett Field.

Arthur's career as an engineer spanned 35 years at Lockheed's Missiles and Space division where his work lives on in the electrical design of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Dedication, patience and sense of fun served Arthur well as father to his ten children. Frequent family outings were blessed with joy and laughter as they explored together the mountains, parks and beaches of the Bay Area and greater California.

To supplement his income and support his large family, Art operated a side-business buying broken-down VW bugs, fixing them up and reselling them through ads in the San Jose Mercury news.

Bryan Martin Van Overen (1960 - 1995)

Delivered on February 26,1960, at Kaiser hospital in Santa Clara, Bryan Martin Van Overen was born the third son of Arthur and Eleanor Van Overen of Cupertino, CA.

Bryan was an energetic child whose enthusiasm for participating in playtime activities and daily chores brought smiles to those who engaged with him. His unique displays of joy were endearing and often made him the center of attention when involved with his siblings.

Bryan had a green thumb in the garden and began his career working for nurseries in Cupertino and San Jose. Through his association with local nurseries, Bryan established his own business implementing his landscaping designs in Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Altos.

Bryan was very strong, and his kind-hearted nature made him a valuable companion when moving furniture or completing various chores that require the help of others. He was always willing to pitch in and help when asked.

Bryan’s enthusiasm for fishing inspired his move from the Bay Area to Hoquiam, WA where he loved to fish for sturgeon.

He died on March 5,1995 after a prolonged battle with colon cancer.