Pretty Big Shoes

On Wednesday last week we learned about the death of community advocate Jean Maluccio. It was hard to hear.

I’ve known Jean over two decades and, to be honest, she at first scared me. She appeared to me as a “no nonsense” gal who I thought wouldn’t be entertained by my shenanigans.

Over the years I learned that not only did she get a laugh out of my silliness, she respected what I tried to contribute to the community – and, as a bonus, she owned a restaurant named Shenanigans. Truly a match made in heaven.

In this week’s paper you’ll get a peek at some of the ways Jean contributed to our community – but I’d like to share some more with you.

Though I’m sure our paths crossed beforehand, it was during my involvement with the CV Chamber of Commerce that I really got to know Jean.

When I was working at the CV Sun, I wrote a piece on local activists. The piece was well-received by Jean and her friend Eleanor Wacker and I was asked if I would come onto the Chamber board of directors. It was there that I truly learned of Jean’s dedication to the Crescenta Valley.

She was at every business mixer the chamber hosted, every monthly meeting (in fact, I think that even though she was ill she attended the September one via Zoom), every banquet, every bingo. She worked for years at the chamber office (probably for little or no pay) and was a wealth of information. If you needed something, you called Jean. In fact, when I was voted on as secretary, I’d send a copy of the draft of the chamber minutes to the chamber president, the executive director … and Jean.

She hosted holiday parties for the chamber and cut oranges the day before its annual 5K race.

For years, Prom Plus (an organization I’ve been involved with for more than 20 years) relied on Jean’s generosity, whether in providing pizza for a bingo fundraiser we had or for the main event: Prom Plus held in May. She had her house on the annual home tour Prom Plus used to have. Whether it was advice that was needed or if we were running a dollar short, Jean was our “go to gal.”

Jean was an early subscriber to the CV Weekly and would even put out orange juice and a breakfast pastry for her delivery person.

It is a profound sadness that I have when I think that Jean will no longer be able to take my call. I’m so glad that she was in my life and that I knew her as well as I did.

She certainly leaves big shoes to fill.