Foothills Sentry July 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 10 July 2023 If you water, save water. Every drop counts Learn more at eocwd.com James Mason 1937-2023 On May 26, after a valiant fight with cancer, James Russell Mason Jr. passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife and daughters, and returned to the twinkling stars from which he came. During his time on earth, he brightly lit the way for his family for 86 well-lived years. Born a man of luck and coincidence in Ironwood, MI, on Jan. 17, 1937, James arrived on the same day at the same hospital as his cousin, also named James. Newspaper stories announcing the twin cousins' births sealed his fate as a local legend. The first of four children born to James and Luella Mason (Johnson), Jimmy was an outdoor-loving boy who could be found fishing and hunting at the camp house on Lake Superior. He was an accomplished skier and ski jumper who worked ski patrol at Indianhead Mountain. Jim graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1955, and went to work with his father at Mason’s Refrigeration before joining the Navy in 1957. In 1958, he married Annette Ojala, and liked to tell the story of how he first met little Netsy while playing kick-the-can as children. Jim and Annette settled in Long Beach, where Jim followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps in the HVAC business. A proud father of three daughters, Jim shared his love for hiking, fishing and camping with his girls. He cheered them on through their endeavors, always reminding them that “if they could dream it, they could do it.” It was a motto he followed throughout his life, building homes, snowmobiles and a boat, to name a few of his undertakings. After moving to Orange Park Acres in 1971, Jim lived his dream as a cowboy farmer, building barns, growing vegetables, and raising animals. Always trying his hand at new ventures, Jim took college classes, earned his pilot’s license, his real estate and broker licenses, sold John Deere tractors, invested in rental properties, taught school, restored vintage cars, and eagerly shared his knowledge with his neighbors and friends. He was a jack of all trades and master of many. He truly loved his family, and he lived his life the way he wanted to, in a way that only he could do. He will be eternally missed. James Mason Jr. leaves behind the love of his life, his favorite dance partner, and his wife of 65 years Annette; daughters Renee Reynolds (Greg), Annissa Mason Doumitt (Robert), Jaimee Rojas (Rafael); grandchildren Morgan Reynolds, Mason Reynolds (Diana), Maitlyn Reynolds, Ella Rojas, Emery Doumitt, Layla Rojas; great-grandchild Russell Reynolds; and siblings Craig Mason and Bonnie Noonan. He is predeceased by his parents and sister, Marsha Miller. Donations can be made in memoriam to Disabled American Veterans at cst.dav.org . Crescendo returns in September with Michele Lee TV, Broadway and film star Michele Lee will kick off the Crescendo Chapter of the Guilds of Segerstrom Center’s 2023- 24 Celebrity Speakers series on Thursday, Sept. 14. Michele Lee is best known for her role as Karen Fairgate in the TV series, “Knots Landing,” which ran for 14 years. On Broadway she was in “Wicked,” “Seesaw” and “How to Succeed in Business.” She is a member of the Kennedy Center Honors. Ms. Lee will talk about her life in show business and her connections with the inside workings of the Kennedy Center at the Bowers Museum, starting at 10 a.m. Tickets are $40 for general admission. Bowers members may buy tickets for $35. For information about tickets, contact Maggie Hart at (714) 356-6720. The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 N. Main Street, Santa Ana. Parking is $6. The Guilds of Segerstrom, including the Crescendo Chapter, raise funds to support the Center’s community engagement and arts education programs. Pacific Ranch fetes 40 years The neighborhood icon, Pacific Ranch Market, is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout the month of July. The market was first opened in 1983 by Mike Walker and his business partner under the name Irvine Ranch Famers Market. It was located at the corner of Chapman Ave. and Newport Blvd. in East Orange, where the locally renowned Bob & Jeans roadhouse once stood. In those days, East Orange was largely undeveloped and patrons would drive down Chapman to "the ends of the earth" to shop there. Jeff Walker, the son of Mike Walker, has owned and operated the market since 2011. He continues to run it as the neighborhood go-to market his dad envisioned. The Ranch Market has many 20-plus-year employees, and has been staffed by hundreds of young people from the surrounding community since its inception. Jeff and Mike Walker.