gmhTODAY 25 gmhTODAY April May 2019 | Page 68

business in Gilroy and considers his mother as his go-to person for just about everything. “I always felt comfortable discussing things with her when I hit a crossroads in my life and needed someone to bounce ideas off of. I know she’ll give me good advice,” Ryan said. Marta considers her youngest son Neal, 26, her “wanderlust son.” Since his college graduation Neal has lived abroad and currently resides in Madrid, Spain, where he teaches English. Neal appreciates that his mother instilled in him and his brothers the importance of “a great work ethic.” “I think that all of us brothers have a keen mind for business,” Neal said, “and she has been very successful in that area of her life. I love talking to her about business.” Along with a keen business sense, Marta taught her boys the value of hard work, which she learned from her mother. “I would say when the boys were young, there were only a few parents that would require their kids to go get a job,” Marta said. “They did their own laundry, they made their own lunches for school, but these boys thanked me when they went to college; they were the only ones who knew how to do their own laundry.” Marta also taught her sons the best way to settle an argument. Her advice: “Work it out amongst yourselves.” “The boys would argue and fight and I would toss them in the laundry room and tell them if you’re going to get blood anywhere, get it on the tile or vinyl,” Marta said. “And when they came out, they would come out laughing.” Marta describes the experience of raising three boys as nothing short of great. “If you have a tiff with a son, poof, and it’s over, there’s no drama,” Marta said, adding, “it’s also a lot of fun.” “Sometimes they pick me up and they think they’re so funny because they’re so strong and I say, ‘Put me down, I’m still the boss,’” Marta said laughing. As her boys grew into adulthood Marta’s relationships with each of them have not only grown but strengthened. “I’m close to all the boys, they don’t mind hugging me and kissing me in public, and I love that,” Marta said. Sean, who lives around the corner from his mother is quick to agree. “I think our relationship grows continuously; we’re closer now than we’ve ever been,” he said. Ryan, the only one of Marta’s sons who is also a parent, hopes to be as good a teacher to Piper, his 2-year-old daughter, as his mother was to him and his brothers. “My mom instilled in my brothers and me too many qualities to choose from,” Ryan said. “To make a long story short, I hope that my daughter is able to be a loving, caring, and honest person when she gets older.” As for Neal, he finds his level of respect for his mother keeps reaching new heights. “In her classic style she keeps what really matters at the forefront of her life: her family, her marriage, her faith,” Neal said. “She knows what is most important in life and doesn’t let distractions take her off the path she is very successfully walking.” } “Our personal family values, beliefs, and the ability to give has enabled us to donate to the Gilroy Foundation. We share those values with the Foundation which delivers result-oriented benefits to those in most need in our Gilroy Community. The Gilroy Foundation is committed over time to improving the quality of life through their family and donor advised giving programs. We are confident our donations are reaching the intended recipients.” Gilroy Foundation is blessed with generous donors! With assets in excess of $13 million, Gilroy Foundation awarded over $1million in Grants and Scholarships in 2018. You, too, can be the difference in our local community. ~ Rachel and John Perez, DDS. (Rachel Perez is the Board President of the Gavilan College Board of Trustees) P.O. Box 774, Gilroy 95021 408.842.3727 www.gilroyfoundation.org 68 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN april/may 2019 gmhtoday.com