Martha Louise Santos

Martha Louise Santos, née Allen and known to those who loved her most as “MartiLou,” “Mammacita,” and “Mimi,” passed away on Friday, August 23, 2024, in Newport Beach, California due to complications from cancer. Marti was an avid and skilled collector of many items throughout her life including antiques and art with which she created beautiful and cozy homes for her family and her clients; lipsticks, mostly pink, that regularly showcased her lovely smile; all sorts of dinnerware and serving pieces with which she hosted parties and created innumerable special memories for her guests; accessories about how special granddaughters are because she loved hers so much; and holiday decorations and shoes because... well, just because! She also had exquisite taste in husbands, though, she only ever collected and loved one, Robert “Bob” Lewis Santos, who pre-deceased her much too soon. Her greatest and most invaluable collection, however, is her countless friends whom she loved and treasured, from San Luis Obispo, Iowa, Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego, and Newport Beach. Some were new, some she met more than 50 years ago, and some were family by blood but close friends by choice. It is an enviable collection, and we would all be lucky to have a collection of our own equal to a fraction of hers. Marti is survived by her daughter, Lesley; son, Brad; granddaughters, Allison, Charlotte, and Colette; nieces, Ingrid and Christy; and nephew, Erik. She is hopefully having great fun hosting another party in a new setting for Bob; her sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Jim Nielsen; her parents, Alice and Ken Allen; and her beloved dog, Baxter. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Families Forward ( https://www.families-forward.org /) or the Hoag Hospital Foundation ( https://give.hoag.org/s /).