Jack and Lynne grew up pretty much as neighbors in Richmond. Their parents were best of friends so they almost had a sibling relationship as kids, adding further to this is that their parents also grew up together.

Jack completed his schooling through high school there in Richmond. Lynne’s parents had moved from Richmond next door to El Cerrito so Lynne attended high school there.

After graduating from high school Lynne went to San Jose State University, and Jack went to California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, from 1953 to 1956, and got his degree in Industrial Design. He completed a 4-year course in 3 years while also working. This was not enough so Jack also attended San Francisco State during the summer sessions. Jack’s interest in art and design goes way back to his early years when he would cut car pictures out of magazines and glue them onto cardboard to make them stand up as toys. Later as a young man he got involved with the Fisher Body nation wide model making competition. They would give critical dimensions for the model and then it was up to the contestant to create a car design to fit. Jack carved his out of balsa wood using a razor blade.

In between building for the Fisher Body contests he made a scale model of a ’49 Buick Roadmaster Convertible that was 14” overall. He carved it out of wood and machined parts on his father’s lathe, adding details like windshield wipers to finish it up.

After commuting to school in Oakland on the bus for the first year he was able to buy his first car, a ’40 Pontiac coupe that burned oil so bad he had to use drained oil from the gas station where he worked. He then was able to buy his next car, a ’48 Chevy Club Coupe.

He graduated in 1956 and the draft board was ready for him. He was drafted into the Army and off to basic training. After his basic infantry training he was sent to a chemical warfare school. It is now 1957, and he was sent to the atomic testing grounds in Nevada where he worked in the Radiation Safety Section. He saw the bombs go off and plotted the fallout pattern as part of his job.

We now back up to the time when Jack was about half way through college. He and Lynne met up at a friend’s wedding in 1955. While they had grown up together they didn’t date until this meeting. They began dating after this meeting. Lynne graduated in 1957; in April 1958, about 6 months before Jack was discharged from the Army, they were married.

After Lynne finished college she worked for the Mechanics Bank. When the 3 boys started to arrive she then became a stay at home Mom. Jack on the other hand began a career that took many turns. He started designing store fixtures and was the one-man engineering department for a small manufacturing company. He then spent the next 15 years creating signs for the Federal Sign and Signal Co. They manufactured neon signs.

Jack then for the next 5 years, hooked up with the MCI Telephone Company covering the 5 Western states searching out and setting up equipment sites. It was then back to Federal Signs for a year as a sales representative. The next 5 years found Jack working for the Prescolite Corporation in San Leandro. Again he was using his creative skills, this time designing lighting fixtures. He then moved on to the Jacuzzi Corporation for what was to be the most fun of all. He was testing material, prototypes, and designing fixes for the Spas and Hot Tubs they were manufacturing. He spent 5 years in this endeavor. Sound familiar?

Jack’s final gig was as one half of the engineering department for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. After 12 years he decided that was about enough and retired at age 69.

In 1970 Jack and Lynne purchased the property in Lafayette that they have recently completely rebuilt, complete with a stand alone 5 car garage and a large new house. That same year Jack bought a ’53 MG that he performed a frame-off restoration himself. He also restored a ’46 Packard to be used as a touring car, but that gave way to the ’40 Chevrolet Coupe he still has. The ’68 Chevrolet Malibu they have is un-restored and was Lynne’s elderly aunt’s car.

In 1970 they became involved with the Silverado Concourse de Elegance Show. Jack became a judge and Lynne was the Concourse chairman for four years. Jack continued these activities when the Silverado Concourse de Elegance moved to Mare Island and Lynne became the entries chairman. The Concourse benefited Children's Hospital. They also participated in the CHVA St. Mary’s car show along with other long time members of the Redwood Region. People like Lee Greer, Bob Trueax, Mel Hendry, Jerry Washburn, Bev Ferriera, and Bob Coates. Dug Waggoner did the Art Work for this show. Over the years Jack says his ’53 MG-TD took 14 second place prizes, he just couldn’t beat the guy with the ’48 MG-TC. As an added footnote they share an interest in wooden boats with long time friends Bob and Carol Coates. They have a 1955 19’ Chris Craft Capri Bull Nose boat that they keep up at Lake Tahoe.

Jack and Lynne have 3 sons, Jon, Chad and Hunter. Chad is following in dad’s footsteps with a restoration project on a ’33 Rolls Royce. Chad also has the 2 grandchildren that live nearby so Lynne can be an active grandmother, which she enjoys as well as doing a lot of knitting. Lynne has also been a volunteer at the Oakland Children’s Hospital for many years. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Hospital Branches.

When asked about CHVA Jack says that they like the overnight tours and traveling the back roads. He thinks that it was Lee Greer who introduced them to the Redwood Region. They also belong to the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America although they are not very active with them.

By Bob Higday February 20, 2009

Published AAN March-April 2009