JIM DE BOOM
With the passing of developer Jack Mullan and Rotarian Jim Sirkin,
the Orange Coast has lost a couple of real contributors to the
community.
I knew Jack from his involvement in the Orange County Coast Assn.,
where he was not only a past president, but also the longest serving
member with 55-plus years of membership in the group. Jack attended
the Sept. 24 luncheon meeting at Newport Dunes, went home and died in
his sleep that night, according to his wife Beverly.
"The week before, Jack celebrated his 80th birthday with family
and friends and that's all he could talk about. We consider that to
be his memorial service," she said.
"He was a good friend and neighbor for many years," said Marian
Bergeson.
"I regret that I was not able to attend the last OCCA meeting and
have a rousing conversation with Jack, as I did many times," said
Laguna Beach Council member Wayne Baglin.
"Jack's enthusiasm was part of the glue that held the organization
together. His stories and his friendship will be missed," added Peer
Swan of the Irvine Ranch Water District and current OCCA president.
In addition to USC alumni and Republican Party activities, Jack
was also active in the P-38 Foundation at March Air Force Base. He
was proud to be a contributor to an hour-long cable TV program on the
P-38 that ran last year. Hanging on the wall in my office is No. 17
out of 500 prints of a charcoal drawing of "Ethan," a.k.a. John
Wayne, which Jack had commissioned.
Jim Sirkin, a Newport Balboa Rotarian, died after a lengthy battle
with cancer last week. Jim, who had been a Rotarian since 1985,
served as club treasurer and club president in 1999-2000. Jim was the
only known Democrat in the club as we used to kid each other. But
politics aside, Jim was a doer in the community -- helping to sort
Reading by 9 books, serving as a field judge at the City Track
meeting and delivering trees on Arbor Day to local schools. Jim was
club president when fellow Rotarian Raj Desai sought support for
Project Deaf India.
"Rotary replaced organized religion for Jim," said his partner of
many years, Markee Frischle. Frischle said that Jim was proud of the
clean-water project the club sponsored during the year he was
president. They helped a small village in India, where the water
carried so many diseases that the residents felt they had been cursed
by God, Frischle said.
Rotarian Roger Gilbert said Sirkin's memorial celebration will be
held today, the same day of the memorial service for Dan Dunham, the
