But the saddest day for the Key Peninsula community was when they moved from their home in Longbranch and moved to be with their family in California. They both were amazing people and it was a previledge to know them and have them as friends.
After a life filled with family, friends and laughter, Addie McMenamin passed away peacefully on April 8, 2017 at her home in Oceanside, California, following a brief illness. Addie touched many lives during her 20+ years in the Occidental College Alumni Office, her first 20 years of retirement on Filucy Bay in Longbranch, Washington, and her 15 years of retirement in Oceanside.
Addie joined John, her beloved husband of 71 years, who passed away in February 2014. She survived by her two sons (David and Stuart) and their spouses (Lindsay and Laurie), two granddaughters (Sara and Sylvie) and four great grandchildren (Jake, Charlie, Riley, and Mckenna), as well as numerous close friends, including colleagues and students from Occidental College and community friends from Southern California, Washington and places too numerous to mention.
Addie specifically requested that there be no formal memorial service or funeral. Her immediate family will gather later this year to celebrate her life and how it impacted each of us.
In accordance with Addie’s wishes, memorial contributions may be made to the McMenamin Scholarship at Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041.
Music played an important part of Addie’s life, from playing the violin in the all-college symphony in Santa Barbara to singing in the Women’s Glee Club at Occidental. In recent years, our visits with Addie invariably included singing some old favorites with her, and on her last day of life, Addie was quietly humming Que Sera, Sera. We hope that each of you takes a moment to sing one of your favorite songs in honor of the incredible life of our beloved Addie, and that you leave a tribute to Addie below (or share a story about Addie using the "Stories" tab).
Tributes
Leave a tributeBut the saddest day for the Key Peninsula community was when they moved from their home in Longbranch and moved to be with their family in California. They both were amazing people and it was a previledge to know them and have them as friends.
Larry and Marsha Saben
Leave a Tribute
But the saddest day for the Key Peninsula community was when they moved from their home in Longbranch and moved to be with their family in California. They both were amazing people and it was a previledge to know them and have them as friends.
Please be patient.
Rick and I loved your parents! Two memories come forward in our minds. We remember seeing John rowing down Filucy Bay with Addie in the stern wearing a long white dress and holding a white parasol. They were an elegant couple!
We also remember seeing a row boat floating into the bay at dusk. The boat didn't appear to have anyone in it. Don Lind got his speed boat out to rescue the row boat and motored out to it. Laying in the bottom of the boat were John and Addie looking at the sky as the stars appeared.
Lessons learned from John and Addie--- do something fun and enjoy each day!
They are missed!
Picking Berries
Addie made the best jam in the world. Himalayan blackberries, marionberries, and her favorite, wild blackberries. I can remember going out to pick berries with Addie. She would pick a berry and say “One for the jam” as she put it in the container. Then pick another and say “One for me” at which point she would pop it into her mouth. Once we had enough, she would cook the berries and put the resulting jam in small glass jars with a metal lid. As the final touch, she would put a label on it, which might read, Wild Blackberry 1992, just like a bottle of fine wine. The most valued Christmas present was a jar of Addie’s jam. Yum.
Anniversaries in Yosemite
June 1995 was the 10th wedding anniversary for Dave and Lindsay and 25th anniversary for Stu and Laurie. To celebrate, we all went to the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley. Unknown to us, Lindsay contacted John and Addie and invited them to come also and surprise us. So John and Addie flew from Seattle to Fresno, rented a car and drove to Yosemite Valley.
Our first night we were sitting in the bar waiting for our reservation time in the Ahwahnee Dining Room when Laurie spotted John and Addie walking toward the Dining Room and said “That looks like John and Addie.” When Lindsay disagreed (wanting to keep the surprise), Laurie said “They are walking like John and Addie,” to which Lindsay replied “All older people walk like that.” It was truly a surprise.
At dinner, Stu had brought a couple of special bottles of red wine. When the wine steward was opening the first one, he was impressed and asked Stu where he got the wine. Stu replied “I traded a surfboard for it,” which was actually true.
The next day, we all took a walk around the valley, with John giving us biology lessons. The lesson I remember most is how to tell the difference between a Ponderosa Pine and a Jeffrey Pine. The points on a Jeffrey pinecone point down while the points on a Ponderosa point out, and when you pick one up, you feel the points and “ponder” why you picked up.
We had a great time at this celebration, and will always remember it.