A dream of an island lifestyle

Elia Powers

Throughout his youth and well into adulthood, Jack McCleery had his

heart set on a prime piece of real estate.

“His big dream was to get a home on Balboa Island,” said Sherron

McCleery, Jack’s daughter. “To him, it was the place to be.”

It was a dream that had to wait.

McCleery grew up more than an hour away in south Pasadena. Friends

and family said the distance never stopped him from enjoying his

favorite Southern California spot.

“He spent more time on that island than he did in school,” joked

Sherron McCleery.

He stayed with friends in their family beach houses. He walked

along the shores of Newport Harbor, occasionally swimming across to

Balboa Peninsula.

He brought classmates to sightsee, took relatives out for fun,

spent so much time on the island that he considered himself an

honorary resident.

And then he went away.

The Marine Corps took him out of California and eventually to

Arlington, Va., where he met his future wife of 59 years, Faye.

McCleery served a brief stint in World War II before returning to

Southern California.

He and Faye bought a home in Covina and raised three children

there. McCleery’s children said their father was a constant source of

entertainment.

“He had the most recognizable laugh,” Sherron McCleery said. “It

was very full sounding, and over the years, people would know him by

that.”

But McCleery also had a serious side.

He was a fire control and conservation representative for the

Southern California Edison Co. During major brush fires, he was on

duty, traveling to the scene and reporting the status of power lines

back to company personnel.

Armed with a sleeping bag and a vehicle, McCleery would stay on

site -- sometimes braving dangerous conditions -- until the flames

subsided.

By the time he retired at age 55, McCleery had reached his goal.

He was living on Balboa Island with ample time to enjoy his new

neighborhood.

“He lived for the time when he could retire,” Sherron McCleery

said. “That’s when life truly began.”

He spent mornings sitting on his front porch chatting with

neighbors and afternoons watching political shows on television. He

was a proud Republican, and he helped his children register to vote.

An avid golfer, McCleery traveled throughout Europe to play at

some of the world’s top courses.

He was a member of the Newport Beach Country Club for more than 20

years, including a stint on the board of directors.

“He was very active in the club,” said Club President Jerry

Anderson. “He was very jovial and enjoyed the game of golf.”

The last trip McCleery made was to his wife’s family reunion in

September. An only child, he adopted Faye’s family as his own.

McCleery died Jan. 23 of cancer. By then he had spent almost half

of his life living on Balboa Island.

To those who knew him, it felt like a lifetime.