John Ives

John Ives, aged 84, died on his birthday after a year and a half of living with pancreatic cancer. He was born at home in West Virginia, the second son of William Ives and Mary Mullen Ives. His earliest memories were of running around free in "the hollers" of West Virginia and having free reign to run and play unobstructed by streets, sidewalks, or adult supervision. The family moved to Burbank, California when he was about 7 and his father went to work in the aircraft industry. John was a good student who worked hard and was class president. After graduation from high school he worked at Douglas aircraft and later as a psychiatric technician at the VA hospital while attending UCLA. Upon graduating from UCLA, he had a job which ended abruptly. He applied for unemployment benefits at an EDD field office in Los Angeles, and ended up going to work there. He later got a promotion and moved to the EDD headquarters in Sacramento. He was well liked and respected for his keen insight and gentle way of dealing with people. In Sacramento he was a hot bachelor with blonde hair, great muscles the endurance to run 10 miles a day, and he owned a sexy orange Datsun 240 Z. So when Alex met him, he was the man of her dreams. They started dating in the fall and by summer decided that a test of the relationship would be to take a trip together, so they headed off on a trip to Paris and London. It worked out well enough that on return home they decided to buy a house in Rosemont together. After six years, they decided they and Alex's son were compatible and married, thanks to a little nudging from a friend who offered a beautiful backyard venue and her husband, a judge, to perform the ceremony. Alex's son Michael was a participant in the wedding. A few years later, while both were working downtown, they decided to buy a house in Poverty Ridge. John loved the new old house and did tons of work painting, removing a fireplace facade, replacing moulding and other fun projects. He built a deck in the backyard and later tore it out and replaced it with about a million bricks he laid by hand. He was also interested in the larger preservation issues, and was a member of the then-Sacramento Old City Association, (now Preservation Sacramento) and a founding member of both the Sacramento Bungalow Heritage Foundation and the Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association. They enjoyed their little family and took a number of fun trips together, including bareboating in the Caribbean with Gail and Bob (bare boating means you crew your own boat, not boating naked) and house boating on the Delta and Lake Shasta. They also enjoyed trips to England, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Spain, a biking trip in France, and a trip with Alex's musical group to Provence. For a few years they enjoyed annual trips to Hawaii and New York City. John managed all of these trips in spite of the fact that he was an extremely anxious and fearful flyer. In 1999 John finished the Davis 100 K bike ride, his one and only excursion into that level of biking. He also learned to windsurf, even though he was really afraid of water as a result of nearly drowning as a child. A strong and athletic person, John took up skiing in his forties and became a fast, daring, downhill skier He worked out at the Capital Athletic Club for thirty years. When John retired from EDD after 37 years, he volunteered at the Society for the Blind and spent many hours both at the gym and taking Tai Chi. He also took up oil painting for several years and then started working with pastels. John was one of the painters of the McClatchy library mural. A highlight of his year for many years was the block he would do at Chalk it Up - always working next to good friends Tim and Lynda Lazer. He also helped out decorating the hall for the Creative Arts League Crocker Holiday Artisan Market. He was a happy member of the Renaissance Society since 2011. John loved his honorary sister-in-law Joan Vondracek, He was shy and had a hearing problem which got worse over the years, leading many to think he didn't like them, but he was just unsure of what was being said. When he did hear, he often had witty responses to things. He was always interested in national politics, so the last two years were a very trying time for him. Alex considered putting a plexiglass guard in front of the TV to keep him from throwing a shoe through the screen during the news. He was predeceased by his parents and brother. He is survived by his wife Alex, stepson Michael Cinciripino, daughter-in-law Heather Conway, and grand-daughters Rina and Flora Cinciripino, and honorary sister-in-law Joan Vondracek. The family wishes to thank First Call Hospice for their loving care, and friends and neighbors Richard, Candie, Tim, Lynda, Anna, Dennis, Kim, and Steve, as well as the larger Newton Booth Neighborhood Association. Also Zoe, Karen and Gail - the sisters; Dodie, for her long friendship and part in their marriage, and musician friends Carol, Billie, Dorothy, and Gerry, and especially Elizabeth, who was a godsend on his last day. At his request, there will be no services.