Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 15, 2014

3

Mountain View News Saturday, November 15, 2014 

REMEMBERANCE

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis


DENIS PETER KEEGAN

Denis Peter Keegan, son of the late James Joseph Keegan 
and Virginia Bland Skinner, passed away peacefully 
Monday November 10th, surrounded by his wife and 
loving family. Denis had courageously fought a rare 
genetic kidney disease for many years.

 Denis was born on December 17th, 1949 in South 
Orange New Jersey. He was the youngest of five children. 
As a child, Denis enjoyed summering on Long Island 
with his family and fishing off the New Jersey shore. 
As a young man Denis attended St. Peter’s University 
graduating with a liberal arts degree in English.

 Denis worked for non-profit organizations as part 
of the Foundation and Development team for over 40 
years. He worked for St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, 
Ireland, living in Europe while doing so in the late 1970s. 
In 1980, Denis returned to New Jersey and worked for 
community hospitals including Cooper Community 
Hospital in Camden, New Jersey for more than 15 
years. It was at Cooper Hospital that Denis met the love 
of his life, Karen, who managed the hospital gift store. 
The two were married in 1991. In 1997, Denis moved 
to Los Angeles where he continued his career at the 
National Children’s Cancer Foundation, the Red Cross 
in a similar capacity and most recently as an Executive 
Director with White Memorial Medical Foundation in 
East Los Angeles.

 Denis enjoyed reading science fiction novels, gourmet 
cooking, fishing, and hosting parties for families and 
friends. He was an accomplished conversationalist and 
engaged everyone he met with thoughtful discussion 
and repartee.

 Denis has a family who loved him greatly. He is 
survived by his wife Karen, who was his consummate 
soul mate and life partner, and with whom he enjoyed 
European travel, gourmet food, and spending time with 
his grandchildren. Denis has four children: Patrick 
Keegan, Peter Keegan, Katharine Lewars and Madeline 
Romo. Denis was grandfather to four grandchildren: 
Colin Keegan, Broderick Keegan, Lucas Lewars, and 
Payton Romo. Denis’s siblings also survive him: Brother 
Jim of Long Island, Brother Mel of Fountain Valley, 
California, brother John of Fanwood, New Jersey, and 
sister Mary of Hampden, Maine.

 In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to be 
made to the Creative Arts Group (Foothill Creative 
Arts Group 108 N. Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 
91024), the Sierra Madre Civic Club (SMCC, PO BOX 
413 Sierra Madre CA 91025), the Rotary Club of Sierra 
Madre California (Rotary Club of Sierra Madre P.O. 
Box 863 Sierra Madre, CA 91025), or White Memorial 
Medical Foundation of Los Angeles (https://12596.
thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 ).

 Services were held at the Mater Delorosa Retreat 
on Friday, November 14th at 10:00AM, at 700 N. 
Sunnyside Ave. Sierra Mardre.

REMEMBERED JOY

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free!

I follow the plan God laid for me.

I saw His face, I heard His call,

I took His hand and left it all…

I could not stay another day,

To love, to laugh, to work or play;

Tasks left undone must stay that way.

And if my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss…

Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.

My life’s been full, I’ve savoured much:

Good times, good friends, a loved-one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—

Don’t shorten yours with undue grief.

Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,

Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow

“Beauty is about being 
comfortable in your own skin. 

It’s about knowing and accepting 
who you are.” Ellen DeGeneres

“…and wearing a really good sun 
block every single day!” Julia 
Rocks

If you haven’t met Julia Rocks 
yet, you are missing out! I spent 
a delightful hour with her in her 
studio on Montecito, which is 
in the historic Sierra Madre Ice 
House, the original ice house 
building, dating from the late 
1880’s. Julia has done wonderful 
things to this place, which was 
where Sierra Madre folks backed 
their horse and buggy up to the 
dock and got big blocks of ice 
loaded on to take home with 
them. The dock is gone, but the 
rest of the ice house remains, 
including the original hand-
laid oak floors, beamed ceilings, 
the 3” to 5” cork insulation 
which keeps Julia’s place cool 
in summer and warm in winter and the 
original tile in the bath. Julia has worked 
with site owner, Thomas Mackie, to create 
a beautiful place to relax and enjoy a facial.

 As a lot of you may recall, the ice house 
was the principal source of ice for Sierra 
Madre till around the late 1940’s, early 
50’s, when refrigeration was available to all 
and there was a Frigidaire in almost every 
kitchen which had to be defrosted on a fairly 
regular basis. Truly the worst job ever. We 
had one of those when we first got married, 
a Philco, which was old when we got it. It 
only got defrosted when it reached the point 
where we couldn’t get the ice cube trays 
out anymore. The family scattered when I 
announced that today was defrosting day 
and, thinking back on it, I don’t blame them! 
Pans of hot water, chipping out icebergs, it 
was ugly. 

 When the block ice business ended, the 
ice house became a vending station for a 
number of years where you put in a quarter 
and got a bag of ice. Eventually, that, too, 
ended and the ice house was vacant till 
the guys from the Sierra Madre Brewing 
Company took it over and it became a fun 
place to sit outside, enjoy a glass of wine or 
their very own Ice House Lager, visit with 
friends and relax for an hour or so at the 
end of the day. After that it was a warehouse 
and storage place and, like all unloved 
places, just got dingier and sadder. Julia 
Rocks, however, saw the potential! She and 
Mackie have painted, repaired, rejuvenated 
and made the Ice House beautiful. The 
walls are bright, paintings just right, and 
Julia has modernized without losing the 
building’s original flavor.

 Julia’s Jack Russell terrier, Jack, is her 
official greeter and mascot and one friendly 
little guy. He was a rescue puppy and adds 
to the ambience of Julia’s Professional Skin 
Care Studio. What goes on there, you ask? 
Wonderful things! There are a number 
of different types of facials available and 
all products are formulated from natural 
ingredients. A licensed clinical Esthetician 
for 30 years, Julia says that all anyone needs 
for the best skin possible are: A good 
cleanser, a really good moisturizer and a 
really really good high SPF sun block. Julia 
has beautiful skin!

 In addition to facials, Julia offers what she 
calls “The Permanent Cosmetic Advantage,” 
micropigmentation, where a pen-like probe 
implants pigments just below the top layer 
of skin to give you permanent eyebrows, 
eyeliner, lip liner. Think of it, waking up each 
day looking ready to greet the world! As my 
friend and fellow Sierra Madre author, Fay 
Angus, says, in her book, “Between Your 
Status and Your Quo,” “Let me die with 
my eyebrows on!” Julia has been involved 
with City of Hope for many years and has 
used this process with cancer patients who 
have lost their eyebrows and eyelashes, in 
addition to their hair. Needless to say, it 
makes a huge difference to these folks.

 Julia is passionate about what she does 
and wants all of us to take care of our skin. 
She told me that thing about sun block 25 
SPF or more on a daily basis several times. 
She loves Sierra Madre, has been in business 
here for at least 15 years, and is a contributor 
on a constant basis to community events. 
There’s an umbrella table and chairs in 
her front patio and if the gate’s open and 
the umbrella is up, she invites you to come 
on in and say hi. Julia’s a southern girl, 
who arrived in California when her Dad, 
who was in the thoroughbred racehorse 
business moved the family here to what is 
really the horseracing hub! Her brother is 
an equine dentist! Did we even know there 
were equine dentists? 

 Julia Rocks is available Monday through 
Saturday on an appointment basis only, 
and there is parking behind her studio, 
right where the train used to drop off the 
ice blocks. Here’s her phone number: 626-
836-6522. The studio is at 61 E. Montecito 
and you can take a look at her website, too: 
HYPERLINK “http://www.juliarocks.net” 
www.juliarocks.net. Besides, you’ve gotta 
meet Jack!

 

 If you like Walking Sierra Madre, you 
oughta take a look at my book! 

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of 
Laughter” It’s available on Amazon.com, 

Or from me! It’s a great gift and Christmas 
is coming!


Sierra Madre Police Blotter

During the week of Sunday, November 
2nd, to Sunday, November 9th, the Sierra 
Madre Police Department responded to 
approximately 354 calls for service.

Monday, November 3rd

At 2:25 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the station lobby regarding an identity 
theft report. The victim informed Officers 
that on October 7th, her wallet was stolen 
by an unknown suspect. She reported her 
debit and credit card stolen to her bank, but 
the unknown suspect had made a $2,000 
withdrawal from her account before the 
bank closed the accounts. Then on Monday, 
November 3rd the victim was contacted 
by a rental car company and was asked to 
return the car that had been rented. The 
victim stated she did not have any rental car 
in possession, nor did she ever rent one. The 
rental car company informed the victim 
someone had rented a car in her name with 
a credit card. Officer advised the rental car 
company to report the vehicle stolen. This 
cases has been forwarded to the Detectives 
Bureau.

Wednesday, November 5th

At 4:38 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the 80 Block of E. Laurel Avenue 
regarding a suspicious occupied vehicle. 
The call to dispatch informed Officers 
the potential of high risk as the reporting 
party stated a handgun was possibly seen 
being held by one of the vehicle occupants. 
Officers arrived shortly, locating the 
vehicle, and safely apprehended the 
vehicle’s occupants. Upon questioning, 
Officers were informed by the young men 
that they had airsoft guns and were using 
them to shoot an apple. They also informed 
Officers a small child came across them, 
and may have been frightened mistaking it 
for a real gun, prompting the call to Police. 
The two airsoft handguns were booked into 
evidence and the young men were cited 
with Firing and/or Possession of an airsoft 
handgun within city limits.

Thursday, November 6th

To allow all Pomona Police Department 
personnel to attend Officer Diamond’s 
funeral services, Sierra Madre Police 
were covering patrol within Pomona. At 
7:35 am, Sierra Madre Police responded 
within Pomona regarding two suspicious 
males loitering and possibly taking part in 
narcotics activity. Upon making contact 
with the suspects, one of the suspects 
informed the Officers that he was currently 
on probation. When questioned about any 
drug use, he initially stated he used heroin 
7 days prior, then later admitted to using 7 
hours prior to contact with Officers. With 
consent of the suspect, Officers searched 
a duffle bag and discovered heroin and a 
syringe. The suspect was arrested and cited 
for Possession of a controlled substance 
and drug paraphernalia. The second 
suspect was questioned, proving to have no 
drug use and was released on site.

Saturday, November 8th

At 10:32 pm, Sierra Madre Police 
responded to the 400 Block of Auburn 
Avenue regarding a prowler. Upon arriving 
on scene, Officers were informed by the 
residence that he heard a noise coming 
from his side yard and saw a male suspect 
looking in the window and attempted to 
open the door. The suspect spotted the 
resident and fled on foot. The suspect was 
described as male, big build, and wearing 
dark clothing. This case has been forwarded 
to the Detectives Bureau. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com