A00103 - Jenkins Family Update 2022
Jenkins Family Update
2022
Happy Holidays!
2022 was a very eventful year -- a year of many memorable reunions. Here are some of the highlights of the year:
Everett (aka Skip)
On January 5, I attended the memorial service for my cousin Marie Blair in Inglewood, California. Marie was 102. After the service, I had lunch with my sister, Evelyn, at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina Del Rey. After lunch, I ventured over to Manhattan Beach to visit, for the first time ever, the now famous Bruce's Beach
Bruce's Beach is an African-American beach resort at Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, California. The property, which was located at 26th Street and Highland Avenue, was owned and operated by Charles and Willa Bruce for the benefit of the black community when racial segregation prevented them from enjoying opportunities provided at other beaches in the area. After it opened in 1912, it became a successful and popular visitor destination for African Americans. However, in 1924 the city of Manhattan Beach council used eminent domain to close it down on the grounds that the area was to be redeveloped as a public park.
The property, acquired from the Bruce family and other owners, remained undeveloped for decades. Part of the site was eventually turned into a park in the 1960s and renamed Bruce's Beach in 2007. A lifeguard facility and parking lot were constructed on the beach parcels. The LA County Supervisors voted unanimously to approve returning the county land to the heirs of Charles and Willa Bruce. The complex process of transferring the parcels to their great-grandsons was completed in 2022.
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I was interested in visiting Bruce's Beach because my great grandmother was a member of the Bruce family. She was the niece of the Charles Bruce who was the owner of Bruce's Beach. Thus, while I was not in line to receive any financial benefit from the return of the property, I did receive a great "spiritual" benefit by reuniting with the land that my distant cousins now own. In so many ways, it was rather gratifying to see that, after almost 100 years, justice was, at last, done.
The second memorable reunion came on February 20, at the Aliante Golf Course in Las Vegas. On that day, Ping and I played golf with one of my high school track and cross country teammates, Commodore Wayne Stamper and his wife Becky. I had not seen Wayne since our 30th Year High School Reunion in 2001. We had decided to meet up in Las Vegas in hope of having dinner with our soon to be 85 year old cross country and track coach, the legendary Len Miller. Ping, Becky, and Wayne all enjoyed their round of golf. I managed to shoot an adventurous round of 119. After the round of golf, I treated the victors to a nice seafood dinner and Wayne shared the treasured cross country meet notes from our Golden League Junior Varsity Champion campaign of 1968. Wayne, who is an actual retired Navy Commodore, had kept the meet notes that Coach Miller wrote up after each cross country meet in 1968. On each sheet, Coach would make an assessment of notable individual performances and improvements. Coach would stress the need for dedication, discipline, and desire not only in athletics but in all aspects of life. Reading Coach's notes for the first time in some fifty-three years was almost like being 14 again. I almost wanted to go out and run two miles again, but, of course, that was never going to happen...never, never again.
Wayne and I had planned on meeting with Len Miller for dinner that weekend, but Coach was delayed. Wayne and Becky could not stay beyond the weekend, so Ping and I stayed the entire week and had dinner with Coach on Friday, February 25. Coach's home was adorned with memorabilia from his coaching glory years when he was the long time coach for America's greatest miler, Steve Scott.
We talked about many things that evening but I had to remind Coach that I was never the world class athlete. I had two memorable moments as a high jumper, one was when I amazingly set the Class C school high jump record in May of 1969 and the second when I jumped over six feet for the first time in competition at the Glendale Relays in March of 1970. Coach had left Victor Valley by then, but he was at the Relays with his new Laguna Beach team. Somehow, I could hear Coach Miller cheering me on during the high jump competition as I was engaged in a duel with the hometown favorite, another skinny kid, by the name of Dwight Stones. The competition came down to me and Dwight. I cleared six feet on my first try that night, Dwight needed two tries. However, when the bar went up to 6' 2", I could not clear the bar. Dwight cleared the bar on his second try and won the competition. The next year (1971), Dwight grew to be 6'5" and won the State Championship, clearing 7'1". The year after that (1972), Dwight won a bronze medal at the Munich Olympics. And the year after that (1973), Dwight set the world high jump record at 7'6".
Dwight would go on to have a stellar career as an athlete. After his competitive days were over, he became a broadcaster where he would be the field event commentator for NBC for the Olympic Games for the next thirty years.
As for me, that night in Glendale was really my last big moment in high school track and field. For my performance that night, I received the silver medal and my Victor Valley coaches gave me a small plaque for being the Field Athlete of the Meet. However, I would never go any higher. It was as though without Coach Miller being around, I just did not have the motivation to excel in sports. As I told him that evening, in his Las Vegas home, he was the Wind Beneath My Wings and without him being around, I just was not able to fly.
The reunion with Coach Miller was the third reunion. The fourth came on Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, when I appeared at a large Retirement Complex in Pleasanton where my former boss, Cosette Sun is now living with her husband, Stanley. Cosette Sun, was an assistant librarian at the UC Berkeley Law School when I was a student there. As I recall, Cosette hired me to work in the library in 1977. For some reason, Cosette took a liking to me. So the next year when she was appointed the Librarian for the Alameda County Law Library, she invited me to come and work there as well. I stayed there until 1980. That job helped me to get through my wedding, my first child, and the state bar examination. So when Cosette asked me to come and speak at her retirement center, I naturally agreed. I spoke on the topic of "The 100 Greatest Muslims". I soon found out that I probably should have just focused on one. Sometimes seniors do not have the patience to listen to a presentation that they do not believe meets their expectations. Nevertheless, it was great seeing Cosette again. I had not seen her in over twenty years as well.
In April, Marquis Who's Who sent the following announcement:
However, I still feel as though I have not accomplished what I am meant to do. Stay tuned.
In late April and early May, Ping and I went on a cruise to Alaska. The ship (Norwegian Bliss), the glaciers (in Glacier Bay), and the on board entertainment (Jersey Boys) were all amazing. However, I caught a bug the last two days of the cruise and when we returned home, we both tested positive for COVID. Thank God we were both fully vaccinated and the symptoms were much like the flu ... but it is a cautionary tale nevertheless.
The fifth reunion came in June when my roommate from my college junior year came to visit San Francisco for a relative's wedding. I had not seen Chris Webster since 2015 when we had our 40th Year Reunion. Chris, Ping, and I had a lovely dinner in Sausalito overlooking the San Francisco sky line as we dined at The Trident on June 1. We reprised the experience on June 5 with a Japanese dinner in the Sunset district of San Francisco. It was good seeing my friend again. I am so proud of the way in which he served this country as a career diplomat in the State Department for over thirty years. Over the years, I have always enjoyed receiving his annual Christmas letters telling me about the adventures he has had in his various posts. Chris has had a good career ... and a good life.
The sixth reunion was a family reunion and it occurred on July 2 in Manhattan Beach. During the last week of June, the title to the parcels previously owned by the Bruce family was transferred back to the Bruces in a formal ceremony.
To celebrate this Restitution/Reparation Day, I invited my siblings and my children to have dinner with me at the Strand restaurant in downtown Manhattan Beach. In our own way, this was a symbolic act. It was a way of saying that after almost 100 years "We're Back!"
Ping and I traveled to the Monterey Bay Area for her birthday on July 16. While there, we had lunch at the Carmel Mission Ranch.
After lunch, we ventured out to the parking lot to drive away. However, I spotted an elderly man who looked like Clint Eastwood. I was hesitant to approach him until a staff member came by and confirmed that it was indeed the owner of the Carmel Mission Ranch, Clint Eastwood, and that I should take the opportunity to speak to him while I could. We did just that. We approached and I told him "Thank you for all the memories." He said a few things in response and gave Ping a rather charming smile before getting into his truck to drive away. It was only a few brief moments, but, even at 92, he is still a star.
The seventh reunion occurred on July 19. It was actually a rather sad occasion. It was the funeral service for my longtime office assistant, Carol Redmon. Carol was 76 when she passed away and had been in poor health for some time. Nevertheless, it was sad for me because for a decade we had worked together and she had done her best to keep me organized and out of trouble. She was not always successful at either task but she endeared everyone with her attitude and quiet charm. She will be missed. The reunion aspect of this funeral service was that I was reunited with some of my favorite City of Richmond co-workers, Crystal Dunn, Delores Murray, and Diane Holmes. After Carol's service, De, Di and I were able to go to the Pear Street Restaurant in Pinole to have lunch and to catch up on so many events. After all, it had been a good four years since I had last seen them and there was a lot to talk about.
After a good hour of eating and chatting, we parted. However, instead of going back home, I made one more stop to visit Carol's mother, Marian Wynn. Marian Wynn is one of the more remarkable women that I know. She is one of the few surviving Rosies from World War II and even has her own page at the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond.
I went by Marian's home and attended the repast that her grandchildren had put together. While there, Marian was able to share with me the memory boards that she had put together to chronicle her rather amazing life. From the rudimentary cabin in Minnesota that she shared with her parents and her ten siblings to her time working in the naval shipyards to her recent activities traveling around the country and around the world as a celebrated Rosie, Marian has certainly had an extraordinary life. Indeed, because she is a noted Rosie and because she lost a brother on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, Marian was invited to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. She sat on the same stage that the President spoke from at those ceremonies. Over the last few years, Marian has met Presidents and dignitaries and has been on television shows and news programs. In many ways, she has become a celebrity
I feel blessed to be able to call Marian my friend.
There is much more to say about my brief stay with Marian but there are still three more reunions to mention.
On Tuesday, August 2, I flew to Los Angeles so that I could attend the afternoon services at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. This service was a special occasion being performed during the tour of the relics of Bernadette Soubirous, the Saint from Lourdes.
Ever since I watched the movie The Song of Bernadette starring Jennifer Jones when I was ten (in 1963), I have been inspired by the story of Bernadette and the miracles that have been attributed to the waters of Lourdes. This once in a lifetime tour was an event I could not miss. I am glad I went not just because of the relics but also because of the tapestries adorning the walls of the cathedral depicting the saints of many races from all over the world. It was truly an inspiring day.
The next reunion -- the eighth reunion -- occurred in September when Ping's sister, Hua, came to visit for the month. Due to COVID, she had not been able to visit her mother and her sisters for three years. Thus, being able to facilitate her stay and her travels while she was here was joyful. One added joy was being able to go to Catalina Island for the first time in my life.
Cross one more item off my bucket list.
In early October, Ping and I attended the Elton John farewell tour concert at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara. Rocket Man put on a great show highlighted by a video of his recent duet with Dua Lipa, a rocking remake of his 1970s hit, Rocket Man. Levitating!
The ninth reunion occurred in October. My Amherst College suite mate and senior thesis co-author, Dave Mooty rented a house near the beach in Carmel, California. He invited Ping and I to come down and spend a day with him and his new partner Lauren. Loving Carmel as much as we do, Ping and I accepted. It was a stunning evening in Carmel. The sky was clear and the stars put on a spectacular show. Ping saw a couple of shooting stars and surprisingly I saw a sky so full of stars that I was amazed. The next morning, Ping and I got up early and walked along the beach just below the ninth hole of Pebble Beach. That too was amazing. How, in the world, did a black kid from Victorville wind up spending the night in a Carmel house and then walking on the beach next to Pebble Beach golf course in the morning? Amazing.
After having brunch at the Carmel Mission Ranch, Lauren, Ping, Dave and I went to the Peter Hay Golf Course -- the nine hole par 3 golf course recently redesigned by Tiger Woods. I had recommended the course because it fit more into my budget as far as money and time. I also recommended it because it is still at Pebble Beach and its views of the coast were expected to be spectacular. Lauren and I had a very good start parring the first hole. However, after that it was an adventure for both of us. After a slow start, Dave began to show some of the skills that enabled him to qualify twice for the US Senior Open and Ping occasionally did well too. The Peter Hay course was a surprisingly busy venue and the pace of play was a bit too fast for me. Nevertheless, I did have a few moments when I was able to look out and enjoy the beauty of the stunning scenery and the beauty of life.
The tenth reunion occurred in November. It was more of an introductory meeting than a reunion but that seems strange to say when the person you are meeting arrived at Amherst College with you in September of 1971. Dave Kirkpatrick and I are both originally members of the Class of 1975. However, during our college years, we lived in different worlds even though it was at the same college. Indeed, I do not recall ever speaking to Dave during our college years. But that was then. In recent years, I have been very active in "facilitating" the discussion on the Amherst Class of 1975 listserv. The listserv has allowed me to become better acquainted with so many people that I never got to know while in college or during the periodic Class Reunions. Over the last decade I can honestly say that I have made a lot of friends on both the Class of 1975 and the Black Alumni listservs. And one of those friends, happens to be Dave Kirkpatrick.
In November, I learned that Dave Kirkpatrick was scheduled to bring his Techonomy conference to Sonoma, California, a town about forty minutes away from my hometown of Fairfield. Since he was going to be nearby, I sent an email to Dave and invited him to dinner or lunch. Dave responded by instead inviting Ping and me to come to Sonoma to see him and to attend his conference. I was stunned and humbled. I accepted.
The Techonomy conference is a significant event. The 2022 version included appearances by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former DreamWorks entertainment mogul; Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; and Larry Brilliant, one of the doctors who spearheaded the successful effort to eradicate smallpox from the earth. You can read a bit about the organization at
Techonomy is in transition this year with the ownership of Techonomy having been transferred to the McCanns, the owners of 1-800-Flowers.
However, Dave is still the Chief Editor of the Techonomy publication and he is still the Chief Moderator for the Conference.
As a self-professed, technological "Luddite", attending the Techonomy conference was like being dropped into a foreign world. I felt like a Stranger in a Strange Land. Nevertheless, the conference gave me an intellectual spark and I am very grateful to Dave for initiating the spark. I can only wonder what fire the spark may start.
Drove down to Anaheim for the day before Thanksgiving so that I could take my sister, Evelyn, to Victorville to spend Thanksgiving with my brother Kevin and his partner Mary.
Flew to Spokane in December, intending to see the annual Bing Crosby Christmas show with my daughter Camille and her boyfriend Jeremy. Due to the snow, and the cold, I opted for a cozy night at Camille's house playing the game of Risk with both Camille and Jeremy. I had not played a game of Risk in over forty years. However, I have not lost my touch. I won the game and I am still the Jenkins Family Risk Champion.
And now for the rest of the family,
Ryan
Found work with the State canvassing the Sacramento area and contacting Sacramento automobile owners concerning a recall of Takata airbags. Continues to reside in Sacramento.
Camille
Continued to work with MultiCare Health Systems in Spokane. Received a promotion to being a contract administrator manager. Continued with her MBA program at Eastern Washington University. Visited Fairfield in May with her new boyfriend Jeremy, a maintenance supervisor for northern Idaho's largest amusement park. Vacationed at the Universal Studios theme park in Burbank in July and attended the "Return to Bruce Beach" dinner the next day. Hosted her Dad for his annual trip to Spokane in December.
Jennifer
Continued to work as an Eligibility Benefits Specialist with the Solano County Health and Social Services Department. Vacationed at Universal Studios theme park in Burbank in July and the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim in September. Attended the "Return to Bruce Beach" dinner in July. Continues to live in Fairfield with me, her Dad, and continues to share part-time custody of Bentley, the cuddly black lab collie mix.
Cristina
Received permanent promotion to manage both Pink and Victoria Secret stores in Fairfield. Was able to finally landscape the back yard of her new home. Accompanied Jennifer to vacation at the Universal Studios theme park in July and the Disneyland theme park in September. Attended the "Return to Bruce Beach" dinner in July. Continues to live in Fairfield with her mother and to share part time custody of Bentley.
The Future
As for the future, I will continue to add to my massive Who's Who in Islam and The Muslim Compendium compilations. I am also still excited by my specialized blog The 100 Greatest Muslims. I am extremely curious to see where this all will lead.
As for vacation plans, on Saint Bernadette's Birthday (January 7), I plan on driving down to Escondido, California. On January 8, the Deer Park Monastery in Escondido will hold a memorial service for its founder Thich Nhat Hanh
I feel that I need to be there for that.
As for other plans, I plan on returning to Carlsbad in January to play some golf and to be with my siblings on Martin Luther King Day. Other plans include maybe a cruise; maybe a trip to Amherst to perform my Black Alumni Memorial Service; maybe a trip to Maui; maybe a trip to Scottsdale; maybe a trip to Spokane; maybe a trip to Carmel; maybe a trip to Genoa, Nevada; maybe a trip to Palm Springs; and maybe a trip to Las Vegas. That is a lot of maybes because, in recent years, I have found that God and this world may have plans for me of their own. I do know that on November 28, if I am alive and still in good health, I will be going to Disneyland to celebrate my 70th birthday with my children.
God willing, I hope to be able to tell you about my birthday party, and about life in general, in the Jenkins Family Update for 2023.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
January 2, 2023
P.S. I broke 50 (47) for nine holes only once this year, and only from the "gold tees" on the Rancho Solano Golf Course.
In 2021, I had 183 days where I walked more than 10,000 steps; 28 days where I walked more than 15,000 steps; and 1 day where I walked more than 20,000 steps. However, I still had elevated blood sugar levels, so I needed to do more. I did so. In 2022, I had 226 days where I walked more than 10,000 steps (about 5.0 miles); 43 days where I walked more than 15,000 steps (about 7.5 miles); and 2 days where I walked more than 20,000 steps (about 10 miles). Not bad, but I want to lose five pounds in 2023 so I will need to increase the number of days that are over 15,000 steps. We shall see.
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