Gratitude by Dave Cort, Community Ambassador
of fun, delicious crab and raising funds for the Lions to distribute through grant making to local nonprofit organizations. Lion Michela Rizzo led a hard-working Crab Feed Committee that organized this event where over three hundred resi- dents attended.
I deeply appreciate the positive feedback that I am receiving from Community members about my Gratitude Column in each Stone Soup. Please email me at dcort@sgvcc.org if you would like to share an act of gratitude in our San Geronimo Valley and Nicasio communities for me to run in future columns.
For this column I would like to start by sharing the incredible love that has gone out to Lucas Chavez as Lucas keeps up the incredible positivity in deal- ing with his brain tumor. As I am writing this column in mid February shortly after Lucas had an eight hour surgery to remove the tumor, I want to remind readers to check out the Go Fund Me for Lucas to make a donation to support his recovery and to send messages of love and caring to Lucas. Google “Support Lucas Chavez in his Recovery” to find the link.
Bruce Potterton Bruce was a skilled handyman, always kind, and outgoing and thorough with his work. He loved people and was a great conversationalist. He spoke to his daughter Haley almost every day. “He was one of the most loving fathers I have ever known,” she said. Bruce made a big impact on our lives and many lives of people in the local horse community. Bruce was generous with his time recently volunteering in the Food Pantry at the Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his daughter, Haley Potterton, and two dogs. Sandra Hart passed away in December. She was a long time Woodacre resident. She is survived by her son Sam. Sandra was a former sangha member at Green Gulch Farm and an evangelist for the healing power of laughter. She was an artist, an avid reader, and a true friend to many. Dave Shore was an outdoor adventurer who was conscientious, believed in people, and always worked to improve lives. His early exploits included becoming an Eagle Scout in Southern CA, school president, and becoming a pioneer of the early whitewater rafting scene. After years of being a guide in the Grand Canyon and traveling the world inspiring river conservation efforts, going on first descents of rivers such as the Zambezi, Alsek, Manso, and others, he racked his oars for the financial world. He tried out various areas of financial services, but quickly real- ized his passion lay with financial advising. This led him to start Marin Financial Advisors and move to Woodacre in 1991 where he started a family, later moving to Lagunitas in 2009. Since then he had a vital role in the community. He served on the board of the Woodacre Improvement Club, helped build the play struc- ture at Lagunitas Elementary, and assisted in the construction of the Woodacre Ballfield. Even after moving to Central Marin in 2017, he was a key player in the creation of the San Geronimo Community Fund. Though he never stopped his travels after “retirement” in 2020, his big dream was to learn to wing foil. True to his nature, he took it up and he was getting pretty good at it until the sudden diagnosis of cancer took him in January 2024. He will be remembered as a loving father, husband, and friend. For him, please be sure to “have fun, try and learn something new.” The San Geronimo Valley is home to incredibly talented musicians, artists, and crafts people. At the top of my list is legendary drummer and longtime Woodacre resident Harold Jones. Harold is known as the greatest, all-time, singer’s drummer. Harold has played drums with Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn, and Count Basie. This past December, Harold played percussion at the Family Music Hour. It was a special evening and honor for my wife Howie having Harold sitting next to her on stage as she and Harold played together for the entire evening. To close my Gratitude column, I want to share the huge smile I get on my face when I see Waffles the Donkey and Waffles family walking down Sir Francis Drake going for a stroll and picking up garbage. I love our Valley!
Lucas Chavez and his girlfriend Hannah
Congratulations to the Heart of Marin nominees from the Community Center. Paul and Juliette Valente were nominated for the Volunteers of the Year award. Oliver Valente, Paul and Juliette’s grandson was nominated for Youth Volunteer of the Year. Carol Rebscher was nominated for Board Member of the Year and I was honored to be nominated for a lifetime achievement award by our Executive Director Alexa Davidson. In addition, Zoila Berardi was nominated to be included in the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame.
This year’s San Geronimo Valley Lions Club Crab Feed which was held at the Woodacre Improvement Club in early February was an incredible success in terms
With Respect by Alexa Davidson
Sadly, our community has lost many valued members recently. We honor their lives and contributions today and always.
Paul Torikian , was born Bogus Torikian and originally came to the US from Turkey. He and his wife Christiana lived in Forest Knolls for 30 years before mov- ing to Santa Rosa last year. Paul was a beloved 35 year member of the SGV Lions who always had a joke and an easy smile to give to everyone. A very social man, he invited folks to come together for neighborhood holiday brunches and started a local men’s social group that met once a month to discuss issues of the day. Don Bliss and wife Gabriella have lived in Forest Knolls for many years and Don was a 15 year very active member of the SGV Lions. Don helped to build the bus shelters, install the benches, and was co-bartender pouring beer for the annual Fourth of July and Crab Feed Festivities. Daniel J Mchugh died Friday, January 12, 2024, on the morning of his 67th birthday. He led a distinguished 40-year international career in transportation and logistics which began in Bangkok in 1985, and ended in San Geronimo this past month. Dan knew honesty and kindness were more important than facts, educa- tion, money, appearance, failure or success. He had an unyielding positive attitude toward everything and everyone in his life, as was marked locally by his love of the people he met and became friends with walking his dog Okinawa in the San Geronimo Commons and delivering food for the Fairfax food bank. Dan hoped kindness would be his lasting trademark, the gift he would leave to the world, the request he made to all who met him… continue to be kind and the world will be a better place.
Sherrie Lyn Grossi , age 84, of Woodacre, California passed away on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. She was the beloved mother of Kelly Hunt Miceli.
We would also like to mention by name and with respect other members of our community who have recently passed away. Michael Chavin and Dennis Stuart.
John Cutler , Grateful Dead producer, sound engineer, and archivist, known for his longtime involvement with the group, like recording their final studio albums, In The Dark (1987) and Built to Last (1989), and later taking on the role of their chief sound tech, has passed away. John and his wife, Anne were longtime Forest Knolls residents. Cutler was 73. Ann Eller was a Woodacre resident. Ann loved the world of construction and had a long career in real estate property development. She started her own successful business to manage homeowner associations in Marin County, Ventures in Real Estate in 2003. She continued this business until her retirement in 2021. She hosted parties in Samuel P. Taylor park and in her backyard. She is survived by her husband Tom Eller.
Page 8 SGV Community Center Stone Soup
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online