Jim Garfield: Good-humored former Mayor, community activist passes
May 17, 2013
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
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Jim Garfield |
You could always tell when Jim Garfield was in the building: no matter how serious the discussion, within minutes there would be the sound of laughter prompted by one of Jim's surefire quips. Jim's personality was a combination of serious and funny - oftentimes combined to be seriously funny - the former reflected in his devotion to the community he adopted and the latter the way he coped and helped guide others.
Jim passed Tuesday, May 14 at Community Memorial Hospital following a sudden illness. He was 76, and surrounded by family and friends when he passed.
A former Santa Paula Mayor and City Councilman, Jim was involved in numerous activities that benefited Santa Paula. He loved to sing - his rich bass had benefited the much in demand Classeks - and he was active in his First Presbyterian Church.
The list goes on and on: in 1986 Jim was selected Santa Paula's Citizen of the Year, an honor he could have been selected for numerous times as he continually cycled his community service, including being the chairman of the city's 2002 Centennial Celebration.
A native of Pennsylvania, Jim and his family - wife Carol and sons Mark and Scott - moved first to Orange then Santa Paula in 1964 to escape the cold weather that worsened Carol's arthritis. "My grandfather had lived here," so Scott - a resident of Petaluma - said the family was familiar with Santa Paula.
It didn't take long for Jim and Santa Paula to fall into an embrace: "Santa Paula was everything to him," and Jim never tired of the quest to benefit his adopted hometown. "He loved this town and everything about it... he was very committed to Santa Paula, no doubt. That's why he served in so many ways... he loved Santa Paula the way it was," but, noted Scott, "he was also hoping to improve it" while carefully retaining what made the city so special.
Jim's devotion was quiet and constant: "Dad wasn't the kind of guy that had hobbies per se... he did some reading, but it was almost like his hobbies were all community service; he loved it. And that's why he never talked about retirement, not going to play golf, not travel; he just wanted to be involved in the community and every aspect of Santa Paula he could be involved in."
Don Johnson, who served with Jim on the City Council, said his longtime friend and recent neighbor "was an outstanding citizen of Santa Paula. He quietly did things that many people did not see," including being instrumental in providing organizations with needed funds through annual rummage sales Jim held at Cal West Real Estate, which he was part owner of.
"During my time on the City Council with Jim, I always found him professional and he always had the city in his heart. Jim recently moved to Hillview Estates and became my neighbor."
Johnson said Jim was "very proud of his new home and took pride in his yard and home.... Jim was always happy and was never short on 'comebacks' that showed his humor.... Jim will be missed by me," noted Johnson, "and especially by Santa Paula."
Jim, widowed in March 2012 when Carol passed, had recently moved from the historic home that had served as architect Roy Wilson's studio/office to Hillview Estates. "I'm the widows' toy boy," he'd tell people of his new home and neighbors who knew they could rely on Jim for assistance of any kind, and who in turn he would rely on for casseroles.
Assistance was Jim's middle name: He served four years on the City Council - including one year as Mayor - and was president of Meals on Wheels, the American Heart Association, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Paula/Fillmore Board of Realtors. He was chair of the Santa Paula Art Show and the Santa Paula Boys & Girls Club Super Auction, and past chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation.
"People always had a positive response to Jim's personality, he was so full of life" and enthusiasm said County Supervisor Kathy Long. "Jim was a good mayor and city councilman; he loved Santa Paula and gave the city a lot of time, talent and treasure."
When the Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau was officially formed in the early 2000s, "Jim was right there" as a founding board member and then three-year president of the organization promoting tourism.
"I can't remember all the paths I've crossed with Jim... he really believed in regionalism and how important it was to Santa Paula," said Long. "He always reminded people that had to be reminded to remember Santa Paula... losing Jim is a true loss to the community."
"It was a blessing to have him," said Realtor Judy Ohaco, who worked with Jim since the mid-1980s when he started with what was then Kay Wilson-Bolton's firm. "There are just some exceptional people ad Jim was just one of those people... I cannot imagine my personal or professional life without Jim; there are so many memories, laughs and upsets, but what a blessing Jim was to all of us."
Ohaco said that included his generosity - Jim never let a vendor pass by without purchasing flowers for all the women in the office - and his uncanny ability to arrive on the scene of need. "He would always materialize out of nowhere... when something bad would happen there would be Jim," offering support and guidance.
Not that Jim didn't once need help himself: Patti Williams saved his life in 2001 when a severe medical condition caused him to have an accident and lose consciousness. Williams broke the window of Jim's vehicle and performed CPR until professional help arrived.
"It's one day since we lost Jim," she said Wednesday. "We really dreaded his passing," which occurred after Williams arrived at the hospital from her Oceanside home, but she said everyone found solace in sharing Jim's humor.
Jim hired her in 1998 when "I laughed at his joke.... Little did I know I would be laughing at his jokes over the years."
Jim touched many over the years, "so many people in so many ways. He was a rare, unique individual - you were drawn to his magnetic personality and humor," a humor that Williams noted could be "pretty wild" with those he was closest to.
Jim had triple-bypass surgery and almost died. Twelve years later was the health crisis that led to Williams saving his life, an act that led to her receiving a medallion as formal recognition.
But what means more to Williams was a text she received not too long ago from Jim, reading: "'I often think I owe those extra years to you.' That meant the world to me, I was at the right place at the right time" to help Jim, a man, Williams said, who "was the kind of guy that would do anything for anyone. It seems like everyone experienced something with Jim that was memorable; he was quite a guy," who insisted on presenting the eulogy for a friend Saturday although he was obviously not well.
Vice Mayor Rick Cook said although he and Jim were friends for 25 years, "We got real close in 1998 when I was elected to the council during his mid-term. We became so close that Sally and I called Carol Mom and Jim Dad all the time... I went into real estate because of Jim," who helped Cook obtain his license about three years ago.
"Jim was always for Santa Paula, he was always doing something for the entire community, the rummage sales that each year benefited a different cause; he helped purchase the Santa Claus banners, anything to help Santa Paula and make it better. He was a total Santa Paula person who wasn't from Santa Paula, but he treated it like his hometown."
Jim and his partner Fred Chisholm had a happy business with a good reputation. "Jim treated his employees, strangers and friends the same, and as a broker he would never lie to people about their property or its value. People would come in and get his advice on buying property," which Cook said Jim always gladly gave, even if he was not the broker.
Cook said the two would have long talks early each morning over coffee, and he was always struck by Jim's willingness to serve, including as the present chair of the Citizens Economic Advisory Committee.
Jim loved to sing and Chris Buchanan said his duties at the First Presbyterian Church included choir duty. "He was very much involved in the church," said Buchanan, who met Jim in 1973.
"He was a deacon, an elder a trustee... whatever there was he was there to do it. Jim was the one you called first on those little things," ranging from monitoring the alarm system to answering questions. "He was my information central - I don't know how many times I called Jim; he was always there and if he didn't know he found out for you!"
Buchanan's husband Bob sang with Jim for years, first with the Half Notes then the Classeks, who she said would be reunited for Jim's memorial service scheduled for June 15.
"Jim was just a great person who always talked about his kids and his granddaughter," said Cook. "They were always in his heart and thoughts. I lost a great, close friend... I'm going to miss him, but the city is really going to miss somebody who was a great guy. It was Jim and people like Jim" who Cook said make Santa Paula a true community.
Jim, said his son Scott, was truly one of a kind. "People would ask me who is more like Dad, Mark or I... but there's nobody like him."
A celebration of Jim's life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 15 at First Presbyterian Church, 121 Davis St., Santa Paula.
