Writing About Jeanne Gill
Jeanne Gill gave me a ride when I was hitchhiking. I was working as resident manager of Julian’s Anchorage, a home for women and children who had been homeless; I went to the groundbreaking ceremony for the San Diego Hospice. A friend gave me a ride there and dropped me off because my car was in the shop. I needed a ride back to the residence on Sixth and Thorn. I assumed someone from the groundbreaking would give me a ride but instead Jeanne who was working at an adolescent treatment center picked me up. I can no longer remember whether I already knew Jeanne when she gave me the ride but I spied a tennis racquet in her back seat and suggested we play a game. Sometime after that, we played tennis at the San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club. I am pretty sure I lost the match.
Many years and adventures have taken place between the hitchhiking adventure and now. I have fond memories of a musical event that Jeanne hosted in her home. Jeanne involved me in the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups. I recall many organizational meetings and special events; the most special was an International Symposium which I helped organize. This took place at the Kona Kai Club. I considered Jeanne “the grand old lady of Social Work” She was very knowledgeable and well respected in the social work community.
A special memory I have of Jeanne was when I was taking her to a special event for future grandparents. The presentation was taking place at a community room at University Town Center. The elevator was broken and there was huge flight of stairs which Jeanne, this soon-to-
be-grandmother, was not able to climb. We located someone from security who procured a wheelchair and there was an elevator connected to a bank which got Jeanne where she needed to be. Jeanne commented the last time she was transported by wheelchair was when she was in labor with David fifty years earlier! I mentioned that I worked on the International Symposium but Jeanne paid my way to it.
Jeanne also paid for tennis lessons for children including my daughter Christa who asserts tennis is her favorite sport. I want to conclude my reminiscing with an example of a very thoughtful demonstration of something more than just generosity. A two year old boy was in a very unfortunate situation where his mother had died and his father, a drug addict, had taken him to Idaho and virtually abandoned him to an overwhelmed family. The boy’s maternal grandparents were ready to take guardianship and raise the boy. When a representative from the District Attorney’s was going to get the boy and bring him back to San Diego, Jeanne made sure he was given a stuffed animal to sooth him on this journey. This young man is thriving today perhaps in some small part due to Jeanne Gills’ thoughtful generosity.