Darby, Jessie Flynn

Jessie Flynn Darby - age: 96
(August 20, 1915 to May 10, 2012 )
Resident of Ukiah, California

Obituary:
Jessie Flynn Darby passed away in Ukiah, CA on May 10, 2012 at the age of ninety-six. She leaves behind two sons, Forrest Darby of Las Vegas, and Richard Darby of Ukiah, CA., three grandchildren, Michael and Ryan Darby of Las Vegas, and Flynn Darby of San Francisco. Jessie was very close to her four nieces. Her oldest niece, Jo Ann Gianetto of Yorba Linda, CA and her husband Tony looked after Jessie during the last four years of her life, including her in family gathering, putting on birthday parties for her and making sure she got to her doctor appointments. Her youngest niece, Christine Woods of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia took Jessie on her last road trip up and down the California coast. Pauline Vona of Oswego frequently corresponded with her aunt and her sister, Lorelee Castadlo of Naples, New York included Jessie in family gathering when her aunt was in New York. Daughter-in-laws Suzanne Darby and Cynthia Kaehler remained close to Jessie, corresponding often by telephone and mail and including her in family gatherings and special events when she lived close to them.
Jessie Darby was born in Oswego, New York on August 20, 1915 to Maurice Flynn and Cora Baker. After WWI her father was discharged in Sacramento, CA where he resided until his death on July 25, 1952. Jessie lived with her mother and sister, the late and beloved Alice Vona, until Jessie graduated from Oswego High School in July, 1933. Later that year her father drove to Oswego with Jessie’s stepmother, Nola Flynn, then returned to Sacramento with his two daughters in the rumble seat of his automobile.
Jessie married Harold Darby on December 21, 1941 at the First Methodist Church in Sacramento, CA. On August, 30, 1943, Jessie gave birth to Forrest and a year later she and her Husband became partners with Jack Bond when they bought Elliott’s Florist Nursery in Los Gatos, CA. Nine months later Richard was born.
In 1948 Jessie and her family moved to San Mateo, CA where her husband accepted a principalship at Sunnybrae Elementary School.
For the next ten years Jessie was a full-time homemaker and part-time den mother and exercise enthusiast. Starting in the 1960s Jessie worked as a teacher’s aid at Hoover Elementary School and McKinley Junior High in Redwood City, CA and as a management representative at Woodlake, the “first amenity-packed garden apartment development in the world.” When Woodlake filled up, Jessie transfered to Oak Creek, a sister community near Stanford University.
After retiring from teaching, Jessie moved to Paradise, CA where she volunteered as a candy-striper at the Feather River Hospital when she wasn’t bowling, square dancing, playing bridge or going on nature walks. Jessie loved to travel and often talked about the good times she had at Niagara Falls, the Canadian Rockies, Yosemite, British Columbia, and the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, Alaska.
On July 17th family members will be coming from as far away as Monticello, Illinois to gather at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite to pay tribute to a woman who loved nature, music, books, friends and family.