Steve Padilla

Steve Padilla, Club President 1967-1968

Steve Padilla first joined Rotary in 1960, when he became a charter member of the Clovis Rotary Club. Steve served as a member of the board as secretary/treasurer for the first four years . Steve was the branch manager of the Clovis Branch of Finance and Thrift Financial at the time. 1964 was the year that Steve was transferred to Sanger to manage the Sanger branch of Finance and thrift. Vernon Baird sponsored Steve into the Sanger Rotary Club in 1964. Steve served many years on the board.

Steve was born and raised in Sanger. His family has been in Sanger since 1905. Prior to that they lived several years in the Kingsburg area. Sanger schools is where he received his education: Harding School, Taft School, and Sanger High School until he dropped out during World War II. He wanted to help out in the war effort, so he got a job with Kaiser Ship Yards in Richmond, California at age 16. They immediately put him in their welding school to make a bulkhead welder out of him. He worked as a welder building troop transports and LST landing craft. Steve always wanted to join the Navy. He knew that he would have to enlist before he was drafted. In 1944 he went into the Navy. The Navy sent him to Camp Farragut in Idaho for boot training. On completion of boot camp, the Navy sent Steve to the University of Idaho, to the Naval School of Radio and Communication. After graduation he was put into the Naval Air Force and served in several naval air stations. After his hitch in the Navy, Steve went back to school to complete his education. He went to Central California Commercial College, where he graduated with his certificates in accounting and business.

Steve counts in his family Tom Flores, Super Bowl Coach of the Oakland Raiders, winner of four super bowl rings. 1) as a player (quarterback) with the Kansas City Chiefs. 2) as assistant coach and 3) as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Tom is Steve's nephew, son of his sister, Nellie, and her husband, Tom Flores Sr. Steve met his wife Lupe Villalobos in the third grade at Harding School, which was located where the Library and City Hall are now located. It was love at first sight. They were married on June 20, 1948. Their Children are Pauline Padilla Contente, a 3rd grade teacher at Sanger Unifid. Rosemary Padilla Anderson a 2nd grade Teacher at Parlier Unified. Jeanette Padilla a 7th grade teacher at Sanger Unified. Steve J. Padilla a Radar Technical Engineer at Raytheon Inc.

Steve was awarded the HALL OF FAME AWARD for years of service to the community by the Sanger Chamber of Commerce. Steve is still in the Sanger Rotary Club and loves it.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

Steve wrote the above bio in 2008. He passed away on May 6, 2010.