Stacy to be part of the neighborhood from the time she attended kindergarten just down the street at El Roble School . Today , Stacy is a chef with a major catering company in Salt Lake City where she lives with her husband Michael . Both Dave and Mary Ann have been active in the community from the very beginning : including , the Venture Club , Sister Cities , the Garlic Festival , the American Association of University Women , the Welcome Center Advisory Board , and the Italian Catholic Federation . They ’ ve always welcomed visiting chefs and students visiting from a Sister City into their home . It is through the neighborly spirit of folks like the Peoples that this year ’ s Garlic Festival will host a 30-piece band from our Sister City , Saint-Clar , France .
Next-door neighbors , MARV AND ROXIE THOMAS , recalled that in those early days on Hacienda Street , Dave and Mary Ann hosted frequent BBQs to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood . The Thomas ’ s first met in a co-ed boarding house in Berkeley . Roxie said that back then , Marv drove a ’ 57 MG and she thought , “ He was loaded ”. They married in the late ’ 50s and are celebrating their 57th anniversary this year . They raised their three daughters , Karen , Kathy and Katie , in their Hacienda Street home . All three now have their own families and live in Los Gatos , British Columbia and Texas , respectively . Marv and Roxie are the proud grandparents of six wonderful children .
Marv owned and operated Thomas Appliance from 1976 until he retired in 2002 . The appliance repair part of his company has been serving customers ever since , under the same name but different ownership . Roxie Thomas worked for the Gilroy Unified School District as Administrative Assistant for the district Superintendent until she retired in 1993 .
Marv is a regular at Rotary and Chamber functions and has a welldeserved reputation as one of the luckiest raffle winners around . Since 1985 Marv has been active in local graffiti removal efforts . He and Roxie also have been active members of their local church .
Back in those days , Judy and I operated Digger Dan ’ s Restaurant ( later renamed Bozzo ’ s ) in Gilroy . We enjoyed meeting many neighbors who became regular customers . One family in particular was the Spencer ’ s . On any given Sunday John and Muriel Spencer and their family occupied the middle part of the restaurant . Dining with them were PATTY AND MARK SPENCER , who had also moved to Hacienda Street as the official newlyweds on the block . They raised their children Kristen and Keith in the neighborhood . When the kids were older , Patty returned to her job as a school district library aide at Glenview School . Along with Patty , her mother-in-law Muriel , Mary Ann Peoples , and neighbor Suzy Seledon have all worked at Glenview . Patty is celebrating 30 years with the Glenview Library as she continues her work there .
Today , Patty ’ s daughter Kristen teaches at Rucker School and her son Keith lives around the corner on 4th Street in the same house where his father Mark was raised . Mark and his family moved to Gilroy when he was 3 . He recalled childhood memories of neighborhood fun with squirt guns and water balloon contests . Another vivid early memory was walking with his father down to Gilroy ’ s Strand Theater on 5th Street . On their way , they passed Vivian Head ’ s house , the very same house Judy and I live in today !
While Mark ’ s family had given some thought to moving , that didn ’ t last long . Instead they remodeled their home , and to this day , Kristen and Keith still think of the Hacienda house as home . When they visit , Kristen ’ s kids sleep in her old bedroom .
There is a great deal of history and stories from the 40 years of Hacienda Street . Two items recently came to my attention and I ’ d like to share them here .
First , I mentioned neighbor Suzy Seledon , who was a beloved and dedicated teacher at Glenview School . When Suzy passed away a few years ago , her husband Ed honored her memory with a scholarship in her name . More information on the Suzy Seledon Scholarship is available on the Gilroy Rotary Club website . Thank you , Ed Seledon , for keeping the memory of Suzy and her dedication to teaching alive !
Second , Patty and Mark Spencer ’ s grandson Jonathan has a neurological affliction called Niemann-Pick . Once a year Jonathan goes to Maryland for treatment . In 2009 Gilroyan Adam Jones contacted the Spencer ’ s with an offer of help . That gesture inspired plans for a fund -raiser that will be held at Fortino Winery on July 12 , 2015 . The event will include a steak dinner , Fortino wines and a silent auction . Proceeds will help fund research into a cure for the Niemann-Pick .
I remember a comment that Marv and Roxie made once that describes Hacienda Street , and Gilroy , “ ideal climate , a certain spirit , and common good and wonderful friends .”
G M H T O D A Y M A G A Z I N E MAY / JUNE 2015 gmhtoday . com
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