TEI San Francisco Past President Michael Edward Martello, fondly known as Mike by most, was born on a U.S. Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. He was the eldest of six children. The family relocated to Clifton, New Jersey, in the early 1950s.
He graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Rutherford, New Jersey, and went on to earn several professional degrees: a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University; an MBA from Pace University; a juris doctor from Seton Hall University; and, last, an LLM in taxation from New York University. He served as tax manager at Foster Wheeler Inc. in Livingston, New Jersey, for fifteen years and then as tax manager and senior tax counsel for Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco for nearly twenty-five years, retiring in 2005 and moving to Soquel, California. Some of his favorite pastimes included baseball, horseshoes, and crossword puzzles. He is survived by his beloved wife of fifty-three years, Marie, and their four loving children, Michael, Matthew, Michele, and Marc.
Martello was a TEI member for over forty years, having joined TEI in 1972. He supported TEI members in many ways, encouraging membership and participation among his staff. He rose through the ranks of chapter officer posts, finally serving as president of the San Francisco Chapter for 1995–96. In 2002, he received the Chapter’s Meritorious Service Award, recognizing his long dedication and commitment to TEI and his profession. Martello loved TEI and all that it stands for. He met many dear friends through TEI, one of whom was Sol Coffino, who summed him up very well at the funeral service: “Mike was a very special person, a true gentle soul with a wonderful sense of humor. He was always kind, supportive, friendly, and thoughtful. He will be dearly missed by all of us.”
Thanks to Mike’s son Michael Martello and Sol Coffino, TEI San Francisco’s past president, for their contributions to this memorial notice.
