Orange Trees and Sunshine

John and I are enjoying listening to some of the detailed interviews Peter conducted with both his parents in the early 1990s about their lives. The interviews are wonderful. Thank you, Pete, for taking the time and effort to do this.

Jean sounds so youthful, although he was close to eighty at the time.

His accounts of his early years in southern California - the orange groves, the beautiful small towns - bring to mind some of the fun, black and white Hollywood movies ("pictures") of the 1930s, and Clark Gable himself, whose ranch was just three miles down the road from them when they lived in the San Fernando Valley. (And who, according to Delpha, looked like Jean.)

Chemistry Lab

I found another reminiscence of Jean's from a couple of years ago.
This one is about his chemistry class in high school.

"I had a good time in chemistry lab."
"I was in charge of the supplies, and had to get out the boxes for the projects every day."
"We made gun cotton, and black powder. That was easy. The gun cotton was made by putting the cotton in nitric acid, to convert the cotton to an explosive."

"We also made chocolate cake. But not on the same day."

Jean Charles, second from left, in chemistry lab at Alhambra High School

Today

  Aide April is the only person Jean allows to shave him nowadays. She is his favorite helper. Occasionally he'll growl and complain at her also, but she perseveres. April comes on Tuesday mornings and Thursday mornings.  In between, Jean sometimes starts to look a little like Grizzly Adams. But then April comes again. and makes him look great.
I hope this photo is not too personal, but I thought it's a lovely picture of service; and the light was nice.  

Generosity

From what I have noticed over the years, I would say one defining characteristic of Jean's life is generosity. He was willing to give even the shirt off his back to someone who needed it.

On his trips to visit family members, he would often bring boxes of avocados or bags of oranges or grapefruit or nuts for everyone. He gave as he saw the need: frequent flyer miles or an airline ticket, huge bags of golden flax seeds, help with car maintenance, books on health, tools, supplies, and I'm sure many other items that only the recipients themselves know about.

He made regular contributions to worthy causes such as an orphanage, Smile Train, the Sierra Club, and to several reservation schools and other organizations that help the Native Americans. He brought thoughtful little gifts for his neighbors, the ladies at his bank, and the home teacher.

In the last years of his life, his caregivers loved to come and see him. He was kind and gracious, and showed a lot of gratitude, which was very much appreciated by them.

He really tried to do good and to help as best as he could, wherever he went.

Today

About a month ago, Jean was pretty much unresponsive, and he refused to eat or drink. This went on for a couple of days. The nurse who comes to see him once a week sat us down for an end-of-life talk. She explained what will happen as the organs begin to shut down, she gave us some medications that might help him if needed, and showed us how to administer them.

Then - he began to rally once again. He started to eat again, and to speak a little bit. Last week he ate "like a lumberjack" - seconds, plus dessert! This week, it's been less. He doesn't remember any of the foods he used to love. His memory is gone. He doesn't even remember his own name.

"Your name is Malcolm Jean Charles", I told him today. That was news to him.
"How long have I had that name?" he asked.
"Oh, for at least a century," John said.

One whole century. Isn't that amazing? To think of all the amazing changes in the world that he has lived through.