She was born Eva Fe Santos-Salgado in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The daughter of a coffee and sugar cane plantation owner, Eva sailed on the SS Borinquen and arrived in New York with her family on Feb. 7th, 1936. While crossing the Bermuda Triangle area, she was singing by the piano in the ships dining room when a huge wave hit. She was knocked to the floor but continued singing.
As a teen she was a great "Jitterbug" dancer. She adored the Big Bands Era and she received a beautiful personal letter from Glenn Miller. Eva took singing lessons at the George Murray Music Studios in Times Square, N. Y. She worked at the Horn and Hardart Cafeteria in N.Y. and during World War 2 she helped the war effort by selling War Bonds and volunteered to wrap bandages for the Red Cross. She entertained at the USO. She became engaged to a handsome man named Robert McCulley who adored her. He enlisted in the military during World War 2 he would send Eva and her sisters gifts from places he was stationed at. As the war closed, he was going to be sent home. Eva and Robert were engaged for 7 years total when he was killed just before coming back to marry her.
She became an accomplished entertainer and performed at piano bars, cocktail lounges, nightclubs, an benefits. She was a also a member of the Six Singing Santos Sisters.
She was an avid record collector and loved romantic ballads and memorized the lyrics to every popular song. She was to make friends with members of the Boston Pops Orchestra and she was a friend of Eugene Ormandy, the great conductor.
The allure of Hollywood was very strong for her and she moved west and moved to Hollywood around 1947. She took piano lessons at the Big Red Piano Co. and studied dance routines for niteclub performances with Ruth St. Denis at her studio in Hollywood.
She became close with the Chinese community and after a time was honored by the Los Angeles Chinatown Four Family Association, The Lung Kong Tien Yee, L. A. Chapter, for her charitable contributions. She helped raise money and did benefit performances for their cause. She worked with Keye Luke, of Charlie Chan fame, in organizing events he hosted in Chinatown. She was very beautiful and she adored silk brocade Chinese dresses. Her favorite color was green and she collected jade and gold jewelry. She was a hostess at the Rice Bowl and Lipo restaurants in Chinatown for a time.
Eva was a blythe spirit. She was truthful to a fault. A loving, caring and very kind person, who would do anything for family or friend. Eva was a gifted seamstress and made dolls, and costumes (like the Oriental one seen in her photo above from 1952). She loved Johnny Mathis and Petula Clark records and would sing their songs whenever the mood struck her.
She was married briefly to a handsome man named Mr. Haas in 1967, but he became physically abusive, so she quickly divorced him. She never married again, but enjoyed her single life to it's fullest for many years after that.
In her senior years she moved to Normal Heights in San Diego, became deeply religious and sang in her Catholic church choir, which she loved. The highlight of her month would be to take the bus to downtown San Diego and shop at Woolworth's and then walk to Horton Plaza and have lunch at Nordstrom.
Eva had great fun during her time on earth and lived in on her own terms. She touched many people with her laughter and good humor, love and thoughtfulness. None in her family will never forget her beautiful, innocent, musical and adorable soul. Eva passed on Saint Valentine's Day just days after mailing a charming greeting card to her beloved nephew Christian.
As a teen she was a great "Jitterbug" dancer. She adored the Big Bands Era and she received a beautiful personal letter from Glenn Miller. Eva took singing lessons at the George Murray Music Studios in Times Square, N. Y. She worked at the Horn and Hardart Cafeteria in N.Y. and during World War 2 she helped the war effort by selling War Bonds and volunteered to wrap bandages for the Red Cross. She entertained at the USO. She became engaged to a handsome man named Robert McCulley who adored her. He enlisted in the military during World War 2 he would send Eva and her sisters gifts from places he was stationed at. As the war closed, he was going to be sent home. Eva and Robert were engaged for 7 years total when he was killed just before coming back to marry her.
She became an accomplished entertainer and performed at piano bars, cocktail lounges, nightclubs, an benefits. She was a also a member of the Six Singing Santos Sisters.
She was an avid record collector and loved romantic ballads and memorized the lyrics to every popular song. She was to make friends with members of the Boston Pops Orchestra and she was a friend of Eugene Ormandy, the great conductor.
The allure of Hollywood was very strong for her and she moved west and moved to Hollywood around 1947. She took piano lessons at the Big Red Piano Co. and studied dance routines for niteclub performances with Ruth St. Denis at her studio in Hollywood.
She became close with the Chinese community and after a time was honored by the Los Angeles Chinatown Four Family Association, The Lung Kong Tien Yee, L. A. Chapter, for her charitable contributions. She helped raise money and did benefit performances for their cause. She worked with Keye Luke, of Charlie Chan fame, in organizing events he hosted in Chinatown. She was very beautiful and she adored silk brocade Chinese dresses. Her favorite color was green and she collected jade and gold jewelry. She was a hostess at the Rice Bowl and Lipo restaurants in Chinatown for a time.
Eva was a blythe spirit. She was truthful to a fault. A loving, caring and very kind person, who would do anything for family or friend. Eva was a gifted seamstress and made dolls, and costumes (like the Oriental one seen in her photo above from 1952). She loved Johnny Mathis and Petula Clark records and would sing their songs whenever the mood struck her.
She was married briefly to a handsome man named Mr. Haas in 1967, but he became physically abusive, so she quickly divorced him. She never married again, but enjoyed her single life to it's fullest for many years after that.
In her senior years she moved to Normal Heights in San Diego, became deeply religious and sang in her Catholic church choir, which she loved. The highlight of her month would be to take the bus to downtown San Diego and shop at Woolworth's and then walk to Horton Plaza and have lunch at Nordstrom.
Eva had great fun during her time on earth and lived in on her own terms. She touched many people with her laughter and good humor, love and thoughtfulness. None in her family will never forget her beautiful, innocent, musical and adorable soul. Eva passed on Saint Valentine's Day just days after mailing a charming greeting card to her beloved nephew Christian.
She was born Eva Fe Santos-Salgado in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The daughter of a coffee and sugar cane plantation owner, Eva sailed on the SS Borinquen and arrived in New York with her family on Feb. 7th, 1936. While crossing the Bermuda Triangle area, she was singing by the piano in the ships dining room when a huge wave hit. She was knocked to the floor but continued singing.
As a teen she was a great "Jitterbug" dancer. She adored the Big Bands Era and she received a beautiful personal letter from Glenn Miller. Eva took singing lessons at the George Murray Music Studios in Times Square, N. Y. She worked at the Horn and Hardart Cafeteria in N.Y. and during World War 2 she helped the war effort by selling War Bonds and volunteered to wrap bandages for the Red Cross. She entertained at the USO. She became engaged to a handsome man named Robert McCulley who adored her. He enlisted in the military during World War 2 he would send Eva and her sisters gifts from places he was stationed at. As the war closed, he was going to be sent home. Eva and Robert were engaged for 7 years total when he was killed just before coming back to marry her.
She became an accomplished entertainer and performed at piano bars, cocktail lounges, nightclubs, an benefits. She was a also a member of the Six Singing Santos Sisters.
She was an avid record collector and loved romantic ballads and memorized the lyrics to every popular song. She was to make friends with members of the Boston Pops Orchestra and she was a friend of Eugene Ormandy, the great conductor.
The allure of Hollywood was very strong for her and she moved west and moved to Hollywood around 1947. She took piano lessons at the Big Red Piano Co. and studied dance routines for niteclub performances with Ruth St. Denis at her studio in Hollywood.
She became close with the Chinese community and after a time was honored by the Los Angeles Chinatown Four Family Association, The Lung Kong Tien Yee, L. A. Chapter, for her charitable contributions. She helped raise money and did benefit performances for their cause. She worked with Keye Luke, of Charlie Chan fame, in organizing events he hosted in Chinatown. She was very beautiful and she adored silk brocade Chinese dresses. Her favorite color was green and she collected jade and gold jewelry. She was a hostess at the Rice Bowl and Lipo restaurants in Chinatown for a time.
Eva was a blythe spirit. She was truthful to a fault. A loving, caring and very kind person, who would do anything for family or friend. Eva was a gifted seamstress and made dolls, and costumes (like the Oriental one seen in her photo above from 1952). She loved Johnny Mathis and Petula Clark records and would sing their songs whenever the mood struck her.
She was married briefly to a handsome man named Mr. Haas in 1967, but he became physically abusive, so she quickly divorced him. She never married again, but enjoyed her single life to it's fullest for many years after that.
In her senior years she moved to Normal Heights in San Diego, became deeply religious and sang in her Catholic church choir, which she loved. The highlight of her month would be to take the bus to downtown San Diego and shop at Woolworth's and then walk to Horton Plaza and have lunch at Nordstrom.
Eva had great fun during her time on earth and lived in on her own terms. She touched many people with her laughter and good humor, love and thoughtfulness. None in her family will never forget her beautiful, innocent, musical and adorable soul. Eva passed on Saint Valentine's Day just days after mailing a charming greeting card to her beloved nephew Christian.
As a teen she was a great "Jitterbug" dancer. She adored the Big Bands Era and she received a beautiful personal letter from Glenn Miller. Eva took singing lessons at the George Murray Music Studios in Times Square, N. Y. She worked at the Horn and Hardart Cafeteria in N.Y. and during World War 2 she helped the war effort by selling War Bonds and volunteered to wrap bandages for the Red Cross. She entertained at the USO. She became engaged to a handsome man named Robert McCulley who adored her. He enlisted in the military during World War 2 he would send Eva and her sisters gifts from places he was stationed at. As the war closed, he was going to be sent home. Eva and Robert were engaged for 7 years total when he was killed just before coming back to marry her.
She became an accomplished entertainer and performed at piano bars, cocktail lounges, nightclubs, an benefits. She was a also a member of the Six Singing Santos Sisters.
She was an avid record collector and loved romantic ballads and memorized the lyrics to every popular song. She was to make friends with members of the Boston Pops Orchestra and she was a friend of Eugene Ormandy, the great conductor.
The allure of Hollywood was very strong for her and she moved west and moved to Hollywood around 1947. She took piano lessons at the Big Red Piano Co. and studied dance routines for niteclub performances with Ruth St. Denis at her studio in Hollywood.
She became close with the Chinese community and after a time was honored by the Los Angeles Chinatown Four Family Association, The Lung Kong Tien Yee, L. A. Chapter, for her charitable contributions. She helped raise money and did benefit performances for their cause. She worked with Keye Luke, of Charlie Chan fame, in organizing events he hosted in Chinatown. She was very beautiful and she adored silk brocade Chinese dresses. Her favorite color was green and she collected jade and gold jewelry. She was a hostess at the Rice Bowl and Lipo restaurants in Chinatown for a time.
Eva was a blythe spirit. She was truthful to a fault. A loving, caring and very kind person, who would do anything for family or friend. Eva was a gifted seamstress and made dolls, and costumes (like the Oriental one seen in her photo above from 1952). She loved Johnny Mathis and Petula Clark records and would sing their songs whenever the mood struck her.
She was married briefly to a handsome man named Mr. Haas in 1967, but he became physically abusive, so she quickly divorced him. She never married again, but enjoyed her single life to it's fullest for many years after that.
In her senior years she moved to Normal Heights in San Diego, became deeply religious and sang in her Catholic church choir, which she loved. The highlight of her month would be to take the bus to downtown San Diego and shop at Woolworth's and then walk to Horton Plaza and have lunch at Nordstrom.
Eva had great fun during her time on earth and lived in on her own terms. She touched many people with her laughter and good humor, love and thoughtfulness. None in her family will never forget her beautiful, innocent, musical and adorable soul. Eva passed on Saint Valentine's Day just days after mailing a charming greeting card to her beloved nephew Christian.
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