John Wolfinbarger’s green thumb and homemade preserves are well
known, but Saturday night the 89-year-old will be honored by the
San Martin Neighborhood Alliance for more than his bountiful
garden.
San Martin – John Wolfinbarger’s green thumb and homemade preserves are well known, but Saturday night the 89-year-old will be honored by the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance for more than his bountiful garden.
Wolfinbarger will be recognized as Senior of the Year for his tireless volunteer work in the community at the alliance’s fifth annual Spaghetti Social at the San Martin Lions Club Hall.
“It’s a real surprise to me,” Wolfinbarger said. “There are some awfully nice people in the neighborhood alliance and I appreciate them for considering me.”
Wolfinbarger is a retired Morgan Hill Unified School District janitor and maintenance worker who has lived in San Martin for 20 years. He is a member of the Lions Club, a block captain for the neighborhood alliance and president of the Retired Public Employees Association local chapter 086. Also, he is the former president of the Senior Advisory Committee in Gilroy.
“John is such a sweet individual,” said Georgianna Froom, one of Wolfinbarger’s friends, and a fan of his rose-petal jams. “He’s just a very kind person who does a lot for the community … he’s just thoughtful. He reaches out.”
Added former Lions Club president Roy Froom, Georgianna’s husband: “He’s a wonderful volunteer, always there to help. It’s a pleasure to have him as a member of San Martin Lions and Lions international.”
Wolfinbarger grew up in Riverside and later lived in Eureka for 17 years where he worked in the sawmill industry. He moved to San Jose in the 1960s where he got into the janitorial business.
As a block captain for the neighborhood alliance, Wolfinbarger helps keep 75 Sycamore Avenue neighbors living between Middle and San Martin avenues apprised of the group’s activities.
“This is a really nice area to live,” Wolfinbarger said. “What’s good about it, what I enjoy, is you get to know everybody after a while.”
The spaghetti social, an alliance fundraiser, celebrates neighborhood vitality and honors longtime residents, said Sylvia Hamilton, the group’s president.
This year’s event will include a silent auction and a raffle with prizes ranging from free golf passes to CordeValle in San Martin to a painting by Thomas Kinkade. A San Martin history wall will also provide a trip down memory lane with historic photographs and newspaper clippings.
DINNER TICKETS
San Martin Neighborhood Alliance Spaghetti Social, Lions Hall, Murphy Avenue; 5pm to 8pm ; tickets: $10 for adults; $6 for children. Purchase tickets at Pacific Security Fencing, San Martin Avenue; or call Vicki Whitman, 683-4466; or Sylvia Hamilton,
683-2667.
