Everyone has unique experiences in life. Each person has a story to tell and words of wisdom that can be shared with others. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to some of the wonderful people who live here at CHCC. Here is a recent Q&A session we did with Jack M.
Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
I was born in San Diego, California, then moved to Crescent City and completed first grade through high school there. Right after high school, I went into the Marine Corps, which was in Santa Anna. After the Marine Corps, I went to Sacramento State University, then lived in Oakland while starting my career.
What was your first job?
I worked as a loan officer at Crocker National Bank in Oakland, California.
All I did was give the bank’s money away, though I never touched any actual money.
What other types of work did you do before retiring?
After Crocker National Bank was taken over by Wells Fargo, I worked as a commercial loan officer at Wells Fargo in Los Angeles for 30 years. I liked making loans to people who needed the money, but once credit cards came out, that kind of did away with my job. At Wells Fargo, I worked with businesses to find payment plans that they could manage.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
I liked making loans to people who needed the money. I also enjoyed working with businesses doing the commercial loans.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
I’m proud of my service to Wells Fargo for 30 years. I did not choose to retire, but they paid me my full salary until I was eligible for Social Security, and I also got a pension.
What is the hardest thing that you’ve lived through, and how did you get through it?
The hardest thing I have ever been through was a triple bypass heart surgery that I had over 10 years ago. I had to show up at 4 a.m. and knock on a certain door. Once I told them who I was, they let me in and said, “OK, get undressed.” I’ve had no problems since. I go and get my heart checked every few months.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
My favorite decade was 2010-2020 because the San Francisco Giants are my favorite team and they won the World Series three times in that decade.
Who is your favorite author or musician?
I enjoy classical music, and my favorite movies are the Mission Impossible series, where a five-star general is trying to steal important documents from the Kremlin or similar plots.
There was even one movie where they were trying to steal the Declaration of Independence! Can you imagine that?
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
One lesson I learned from my parents is to not drink or smoke. My father was in the Navy, and he drank and smoked, but that was part of being in the military and typical of that time.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Play sports! I played football, basketball and baseball and really loved it!
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
One thing I’d like people to know about me is that I’m a big sports fan. The teams that I root for are the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Cal State Golden Bears (my brother went there), and the Golden State Warriors.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
The service is wonderful here at CHCC, and the staff are all very kind.