President Eileen's News Flash - In Memory of Our Dear Friend John H. "Jack" Biggar, III |
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To My Esteemed and Fellow Rotarians: |
It is with a heavy and broken heart that I share the sad news with you that Jack Biggar, our dear friend and fellow Rotarian, passed away this week. This 8th of September would have marked 35 years of Rotary membership for him. Jack was such a great man and a wonderful Rotarian. He served his community in many ways and I feel blessed to have had him as a member of our Club. I know I join Kim Douglas, Vito Ferlauto, Bruce Birkeland, and Stewart Mims in saying we will cherish our special visit during the holidays with Jack and his lovely wife Karol, along with fellow Rotarian Miles Sterling and his lovely wife Esther. I am sure that fellow Rotarians that joined me on this special visit could see the sparkle in Jack's eyes as soon as he spoke of his time with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses as he commented on some of the most amazing parade photos and plaques that were strategically hung in his office. |
Jack made sure to let us know how much he missed everyone and he really was hoping to make it to a lunch meeting someday. As I Googled Jack, I came across several articles and information about him, including his ownership of J. H. Biggar Furniture. I felt the most significant articles were about his time with the Tournament of Roses. I included a very special publication that really tells about the core of the Tournament of Roses Parade and especially about what it meant to Jack. I would also like to share a few heartfelt comments by members that were very good friends with Jack as they recalled fond memories of special times they spent with him. |
"Jack was truly a great gentleman and I was fortunate to have known him. Jack and I were long time friends enjoying many years being Rotarians together. We loved College Football Seasons each pulling for our own teams and spent many great days playing Gin together." Dale Stinchfield
"Jack was a class act. My favorite memory was when he invited Shaun and I to attend the USC/Texas National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. After the game, he has the grace to try to cheer me up even though he was Stanford to the core! A pillar of our Rotary Club, Jack was responsible for the making of many Paul Harris Fellow Members. I know he is already assembling kindred spirits in heaven for a meeting. Here is to Jack!" Mark Montgomery
"What a gentleman and what a great loss for us all!" Bruce Birkeland
"My prayers are with his family. My wife Linda and I bought our first furniture set from him in Pasadena in 1990." John Veytia
"I will always remember the "Senior Craft Talk" that Jack gave regarding the year that he served as President of the Tournament of Roses Parade Committee." Chandra Chell
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Two really stood out which were the years he held the "President" titles in 1958 when the theme was "Daydreams in Flowers" and again in 1989 for the "Celebrating 100th" Anniversary Year, with Shirley Temple Black serving as the Grand Marshal.
During our visit with Jack and Karol, we were able to see photos of Jack receiving many awards during his days with the Tournament of Roses. One such photo was of a plaque erected in his honor on the Tournament of Roses History Walk in Pasadena. The plaque is commemorating the 100th Tournament of Roses Parade and 75th Rose Bowl Game when Jack served as the President. The article below was written by Russell Kishi and published by the United Press International on December 31, 1988, titled 'Tournament of Roses Marks Centennial.'
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When the 100th Tournament of Roses begins Monday at 8 a.m., a 70-foot giraffe and a 104-year-old woman will be among the parade's participants vying for attention from an audience that has grown to millions. What started in 1890 as a mid-winter pageant for a handful of local citizens has evolved into an international phenomenon viewed in person by 1 million people and by 350 million more through TV coverage to 35 countries. That will include the first 3-D television broadcast, to be shown over Fox Broadcasting Co., as well as coverage by CBS, NBC and ABC.' |
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May
Birthdays
Jack Biggar
5/8
Devi Pillai
5/9
Wedding Anniversaries
Dick Glassock
5/21
Bob McCormick
5/5
Club Anniversaries
Bruce Birkeland
5/11/1999
Chris Doherty
5/25/21
James Fitzpatrick
5/14/2019
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Upcoming
Guest Speakers
5/20
Stephanie Palmer,
Program Manager - HomeShare OC
5/27
TBD
6/3
Alexander Rosenstein
Next Board Meeting
Thursday,
May 19, 2022
5:00 p.m.
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John Biggar III, who directed the yearlong preparation for the centennial, said he and 875 volunteers, plus thousands more who designed and prepared the floats, had an enormous challenge to live up to. The enthusiasm around the country for our parade and Rose Bowl game is something you don't get into your bones until you travel around to these little towns, the ones we have invited to take part,' said Biggar, president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. 'They just know it is the best event on New Year's Day, the granddaddy of them all,' he said. 'Just say 'Pasadena' to someone out of state and the first thing they talk about is the parade and game.' |
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Statistically, the parade is rigidly governed by tradition, with its standard order of 60 floats, 22 bands, 27 equestrian units, one Rose Queen and a royal court of six princesses. (Because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday this year, the parade has been moved to Monday.) Charmaine Beth Shryock, 17, a senior at Pasadena's Westridge School, was crowned Rose Queen last October, flanked by princesses Carolyn Beach, Raquel Anne Black, Lacy Kiyoe Endo, Kristin Elizabeth Hansen, Tomorrow Leigh and Heidi Griffith Marsh. Biggar estimated he was on the road for one week each month since March, traveling across the country and as far away as Japan and France to invite participants to the centennial. The 150-piece Kanto Gakuin marching band from Yokohama, Japan, has been in Pasadena since Dec. 23 to prepare for its engagement along the 5.2 mile parade route.
But Biggar traveled only as far north as the San Francisco suburb of Woodside, Calif., to select his centennial grand marshal. He chose Shirley Temple Black, who in 1939 performed the same function at the Tournament's 50th anniversary. Black, 60, joins Bob Hope and Richard Nixon to be the only two-time grand marshals in parade history. She was not quite 11 years old the first time around, and at the height of her popularity as the best-known child star in film history. 'From my viewpoint, it was a very innocent time,' Black said. 'There was no investigative reporting then and movie stars were placed on pedestals. Everything was on the big screen, and the big screen made things larger than life. 'But as a little girl I loved the parade, because it was a beautiful parade, and certainly the best smelling one I was ever in.'
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Biggar said this year will set a new record for height. One float, an entry from the Carnation Co., features a 70-foot-tall giraffe pulling a circus wagon, complete with acrobats. 'We'll have a tightwire walker and trapeze artists,' Biggar said. 'Another float will have its own ski jump and still another float will carry a water slide.' But the Huntington Hotel and Cottages went out of its way to add a unique element to the 1989 parade. The hotel is sponsoring a float that with two college students exchanging wedding vows as they travel along Orange Grove Boulevard and Colorado Street. Carie Humphries, 21, and Ron Simms, 23, earned the privilege by winning a contest looking for the 'Most Romantic Couple in Southern California,' which the hotel sponsored along with a bridal magazine, a radio station and a department store chain.
An entry from Home Savings of America will include a Vietnamese refugee, Vinh Nguyen of Pasadena, who was one of 10 Home Savings employees chosen to ride in the parade out of the company's 13,000 workers. The Home Savings float will also have the honor of carrying the parade's oldest participant, Lottie Hicks of Alhambra, Calif., who will turn 104 on Jan. 30. 'I came here in 1923 from Chicago,' Hicks said. 'It has always been my dream to be in the parade. I have always been thrilled at the beauty of it. This is really the highlight of my life.'
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Although we did not have a regular lunch meeting last week, and in light of the horrific Coastal Fire, Rotarians still felt the need to be together during this time. Our social event was attended by both Rotarians and visitors and we were all happy to receive updates on the fire together. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members that reached out to each other to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for during the Coastal Fire in our beautiful city. Please keep those families that lost their homes or were evacuated in your thoughts in prayers. |
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President-Elect Chandra Chell and I were able to attend the "We Are Fearless" Rotary District Conference in Irvine on Saturday We were able to hear the most amazing speakers and really enjoyed our time working on blankets that will be distributed to cancer patients in local hospitals. We also had the honor of shaking hands with Orange County Firefighters that were in attendance to support Fire Captain Shaun Miller and his K-9 partner, Freedom, for being recognized for their work in Orange County by our District Governor Cisca. It was quite an honor to personally shake each of their hands, thanking them for saving Laguna Niguel. |
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We are always looking for great speakers in our community! Please be sure to forward names and email addresses to me for any individuals in our community that you would like to have come out and speak to our Rotary Club! We have lots of great programs scheduled and we look forward to many more with your help! We are planning some great programs so please be sure to join us for lunch on Friday's at noon so you don't miss out!
Serving To Change Lives,
Eileen
Eileen Gomez
2021-22 President
Rotary Club of Laguna Niguel
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Rotary Calendar of Events |
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Thursday, May 19th at 5:00pm: Virtual Club Board Meeting
June 4-8, 2022: Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas
June 25, 2022: District 5320 Denim & Diamonds End of the Year Celebration & Transition Dinner, Tanaka Farms, Irvine
July 4, 2022: 43rd Annual Laguna Niguel Family YMCA Run in the Park
July 16, 2022: Club Demotion/Promotion Dinner
July 22, 2022: Club visit from New District Governor Dan Ouweleen
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Our Next Meeting is on Friday, May 20, 2022 at Noon at Romeo Cucina Restaurant in Laguna Niguel! |
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Stephanie Palmer, Gerontologist |
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Please join us to welcome our featured Guest Speaker Stephanie Palmer, Program Manager for HomeShare OC! HomeShare OC is a non-profit organization that provides Homeless Intervention Services throughout Orange County. HomeShare OC connects people with spare room and college students who are struggling financially and on the verge of dropping out.
Stephanie was the first person to complete a dual Master's degree at USC in Business Administration and Gerontology, the study of aging. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about improving programs and services for older adults. She's held leadership positions in senior housing, home care, health insurance, and nonprofit organizations. Stephanie believes strongly that home sharing is a creative, compassionate, and cost-effective solution to help end homelessness, and she has shared her home over the years with two college students.
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Please join us at Romeo Cucina Restaurant at Noon on Friday, May 20th to show your support for Stephanie Palmer!
Next Meeting - Friday, May 20, 2022
Romeo Cucina Restaurant
28241 Crown Valley Parkway
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(corner of Greenfield Dr. and Rancho Niguel Rd.)
11:45 am - Socialize
12:00pm - Meeting Called to Order
12:30pm - Speaker Program Begins
1:00pm - Meeting Adjournment
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City of Laguna Niguel Events! |
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The Rotarian's Four-Way Test
of the things we think, say or do!
First - Is it the TRUTH?
Second - is it FAIR to all concerned?
Third - Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Fourth - Will it be BENEFICIAL to ALL concerned?
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