Don (Jake) Wick was born on June 3rd, 1934, in Liberal, Kansas. His parents, Charles and Sarah, were sharecroppers. Jake rode a horse to school, which was a literal 1-room schoolhouse. When he was 9, his father died and his mother moved the family to Rosemead, CA. They lived with his older sister and her young family. It was the middle of World War II so his mom got a job in a factory and Jake delivered newspapers on his bike everyday before school.
As soon as he could, Jake enlisted in the Air Force. Though the Korean War was now going on, he was sent to a base in England, where he served 4 years. Back home, Jake enrolled at Pasadena City College, then moved onto Cal State L.A. thanks to the GI Bill.
He left school to enter the police academy and soon after was an officer with the San Gabriel Police Dept. He began moonlighting with his fellow officer, Fred Dennis, and soon had a small fence business going. Around this time he met Helen Tapley and they were soon married, and moved into their new home in El Monte. 4 kids later, Jake decided to give the fence business all of his working energy.
After moving to San Gabriel and getting their kids through school, Jake and Helen decided to relocate to Newport Beach, where they both enjoyed summers as kids themselves. Jake retired in 1996 and played some golf, bought a little boat, and enjoyed daily walks around Balboa Island. In 2005, Helen lost her years-long fight with cancer. Jake and Helen's family has continued to grow. Debbie (John), Dawna (Carl), and Dyana (Robert), along with Scott (Carmen) have blessed them with 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, with 1 in the oven.
In 2009, Jake married his Mark Keppel H.S. classmate, Virginia Jones. Together, they've traveled to Washington, D.C., visited friends back in Dallas, seen the Grand Canyon, and been active in alumni gatherings. Virginia's large and loving family added even more events to Jake's calendar, and he was happier for them.
Jake passed on Thursday, January 9th, 2020, at home surrounded by Virginia and his four children. We gather here today to celebrate and remember the great life he led and the amazing example he set for his family.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18