Jack Proctor Witter

Jack Witter It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved relative and friend, Jack Proctor Witter of Cambria, California. Jack was born April 10, 1945, at Peralta Hospital in Oakland, California. He lived in Orinda with his family, including older brother, Larry, his mother and father, Jewel and Bill Witter, until 1955 when the family moved to Tiburon, California. Jack graduated from Redwood High School in Tiburon in 1963. In High School, Jack was on the football team and was an active swimmer. Jack and his family also spent many happy hours sailing on San Francisco Bay, and hiking and packing through the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite Valley with Jewel's brother, Wallace Proctor, M.D. of Napa, California and his daughters, Sally and Susan Proctor. Jack graduated from the University of Colorado, with a degree in Business and was a very PROUD member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He went on to attend Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, AZ, where he graduated with a Master's Degree in International Management. He was hired by Colgate Palmolive Co. in 1969 and underwent sales and management training in New York City. On conclusion of training, he was sent to Sydney, Australia, in 1971, to head the company's Pacific Sales Operation. Jack changed his career course and returned to San Francisco about 1972 where he sold commercial real estate for Coldwell Banker Real Estate Company. He developed an interest in holistic senior housing, and became a founding partner of the Windchime Group, LLC, Menlo Park, California, which developed and managed assisted living communities in Northern California. Jack met and married the artist, Karen Burns, in Lafayette, California, in 1990. They lived there until 2000, when they moved to Cambria, California where they lived together until she died in October, 2010. Following their passions, they spent many happy hours in Yosemite Valley, California's Central Coast, and parts of the African Continent, where they marveled at the wildlife they found there. Following a consulting stint with The Villages in San Luis Obispo, Jack departed the Windchime Group to assume roles as President and CEO of Operations in San Luis Obispo, overseeing four communities of The Villages, including one in Phoenix, Arizona. He retired in December, 2011. Jack's message was always LOVE. His and Karen's guiding principle was "Just Trust." He manifested this comprehensive, humanistic approach in both work and personal activities, following ideals of dignified living for clients, friends, associates, family and animals and wildlife. He continued to participate actively in his local community, lending his love, wisdom, and experience to everyone he met. Jack is survived by his cousins Sara Lee Seltzer of Walnut Creek, Susan Signaigo of Berkeley, California, and their children; his brother Larry's wife, Mavis of Truckee; his sister-in-law, Sharon Thompson, and her daughter, Karon Hastings, husband, Dick, and son, Cade Hastings of San Diego; and Jack's beloved longtime companion, Molly (Toy Australian Shepherd). Many who were touched by Jack's love include, but are not limited to Mr. Robert Lahr, Mr. Hamish Marshall, Ms. Trudy Barkley, Michael Fayles, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Thompson, Ms. Linda Gallagher, David 'Waldo' and Roseann, Cameron Wold, Dr. Charles Ryan, M.D. (UCSF), Jack and Connie Castenetti and Sally Chenault of Sonora California, Ms. Cat Rhyne, Mr. and Mrs. Rob Koch and Ms. Annie Koehane. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (Holy Bible, First Corinthians, 13). Gifts in Jack Proctor Witter's name can be made to any of the following: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, (giving.ucsf.edu/ (877) 499-UCSF (877-499-8273) David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for Rhino Protection, Kenya, Africa (info@sheld rickwildlifetrust.org) Yosemite Conservancy, Yosemite, California (info@ yosemiteconservancy.org) A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 4, 2017, at Auditorium Senior Center, 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay, 1:00 to 2:30 pm, with visiting to follow until 3:30 pm. Please bring snacks/finger foods. Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries