Theodore "Ted" Lee Jiron

Theodore “Ted” Lee Jiron lost his battle with Alzheimer’s Disease in his northeast Bakersfield home on April 21, 2020. Ted was born February 9, 1937 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the only child of loving parents Theodore Jiron, from Raton, N.M. and Virginia Gallegos Jiron, of Tucumcari, N.M. When Ted was 5, the family moved from Albuquerque to Los Angeles. Ted attended parochial schools at St. Thomas Aquinas and Loyola High School in Los Angeles. Although he was accepted to University of Southern California, (USC) Ted chose to continue his education among good friends at East Los Angeles College, instead. With a strong, ingrained belief that hard work pays off, Ted’s constant ambition to better himself in early adulthood was achieved through determination, perseverance, strength, intelligence and just plain stubbornness.

In 1961, Ted joined a bowling league with coworkers from Los Angeles County Engineering Department. There he met the lovely Arlene Cruz, recently moved from Bakersfield. Once a week, in a smoky room with squeaky, rented bowling shoes, the Jiron romance blossomed. Arlene’s Alameda Street job at an ice plant and Ted's County office were only blocks apart, so bowling dates turned into lunch dates and soon, Ted spent every spare moment courting Arlene. Tragedy struck as their courtship progressed and Arlene lost her job. She confessed to Ted that without work, she would soon be moving back to Bakersfield. Ted realized he could not live another day without Arlene and immediately asked for her hand in marriage. Before Arlene officially said yes, she brought Ted to Bakersfield to meet the Cruz clan.

After a few whirlwind months, Ted sat across from her imposing father, Grandpa Carl, at the family home in East Bakersfield and asked for Arlene's hand. On November 11, 1961 Judge Noriega married Ted Jiron and Arlene Cruz inside of her childhood home on East California Ave. The young couple resided in Los Angeles for years, living in apartments built and managed by Ted’s father. Eventually, the pair moved their growing family to Diamond Bar, and then to a house atop a huge hill in Monterey Park. Theodore III was born in 1962, followed by daughter Gina and Joseph in 1970. Returning to East Los Angeles College for night school, Ted earned his degree in Real Estate in June of 1971 and for many years, Ted enjoyed his career as an appraiser for the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.

In 1977, Ted moved the family to Arlene’s hometown to open a successful small business in East Bakersfield. Together with his entire family, for five years Ted owned and operated the C.J. University Liquors store across from Bakersfield College. C.J. Liquors was a busy, thriving neighborhood hub that attracted student traffic from the college and enjoyed a steady stream of passersby on Mt. Vernon Avenue, which was - in the ‘70s - the only route down the Panorama Bluffs to reach the local landfill. The family soon expanded the business to offer gasoline and video games, and C.J. was the first convenience store in northeast Bakersfield to include a deli, providing customers fresh sandwiches and 10-pound tubs of homemade salads prepared just around the corner at the family’s Vassar Street home. One of the Jirons could always be found at the store - right down to young Joey, who would stand on a chair to operate the cash register - and C.J. Liquors was very involved in philanthropy throughout the community. After deciding to sell the store in 1982, Ted returned to his career roots, appraising local properties on a freelance basis for a private firm owned by friend Rich Krizo. Ted eventually transitioned to work for the Kern County Assessor’s Office, where he continued appraising local properties until his retirement in 1999.

Throughout their marriage, the couple’s strong faith kept them deeply involved with the Catholic Church, attending mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Baker Street for decades. Ted gave freely of his time, teaching religious classes at St. Joseph’s for 2-3 years (He was the only one who could handle the junior high group, Arlene fondly recalls.) Ted then served several terms as President of St. Vincent de Paul, the community outreach branch of St. Joseph’s. Next, Ted served for years as the Head of Eucharistic Ministry at St. Joseph’s. Continuing long into Ted’s retirement, both he and Arlene served as eucharistic ministers, bringing communion to the elderly, ill and housebound church members. Ted and Arlene last regularly attended mass at Christ the King Catholic Church, until Ted himself became ill.

In retirement, Ted and Arlene and their cockapoo, Taffy, moved from Vassar Street to the Rio Bravo Country Club to indulge Ted’s longtime passion for golf. An avid golfer, Ted enjoyed playing in dozens of tournaments and the man could putt like nobody’s business. Brother-in-law Ron Cruz recalled the day that an unlucky, one-in-a-million shot ricocheted off a very slim tree and struck Ted right in the nose. Fellow golfers insisted that Ted seek medical attention. Ted insisted that he seek the next hole, bloody towel in hand. They played a whopping 52 holes that day, Ron said. Ted’s refusal to quit, even when life literally smacked him in the face, serves to illustrate his general philosophy about life.

In his later years, Ted was truly a fixture at the Rio Bravo Pro Shop, then moved out onto the grounds as a course marshal. Ted enjoyed sharing his love of golf with his children and grandchildren, who sometimes ran off with his golf cart. Almost to the very end, Ted stayed busy with his wife and kids, nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and his beloved church obligations. Ted Jiron lived his life in service of others, and his small stature concealed a huge, generous heart and a limitless capacity for giving whatever was needed, before it was ever asked for.

Ted is survived by his devoted wife, Arlene; children Teddy Jiron, Gina Hertz and Joey Jiron; grandchildren Tawny Martin, Christine Cruz-Boone, Genine Flores, Annette Hertz, Nick Jiron, Jake Jiron, Sydney Dabbert, Joey Jiron II and Molly Jiron; great grandchildren Anjel, Susie and River Flores, Inara and Nathan Cruz-Boone, Jett and Jax Martin, Calliope Dabbert, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Arlene would like to thank her children that opened their homes, the Alzheimer Association of Bakersfield and Kern Hospice for helping her care for Ted through the full duration of his illness. In lieu of flowers the family would respectfully request donations be made in Ted’s memory to the local, St. Vincent de Paul to help other families during these trying times.

Link to donate online: https://www.osvhub.com/svdpbakersfield/funds/st-vincent-de-paul-homeless-center

A special thanks to our home health care workers, specifically Carol and Jessica Carrasco that were in invaluable in Ted's last month.

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