The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Saturday morning at 10 at The Parish of Saint Mary in Palms, 3647 Watseka Ave., followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery.
All are invited to the reception to continue the celebration of Jackie McCains Life at a location to be announced at the services.
For Those Who Give
In lieu of flowers, all memorials and contributions may be made to the “St. Joseph Center,” 204 Hampton Dr., Venice 90291, in memory of Charles and Jackie McCain.
Mrs. McCain, longtime Culver City resident and civic leader, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 31, after a prolonged illness.
She was born in Missouri. After attending teachers college, she followed her two cousins to Southern California in 1943.
How It All Began
Many McCain family friends already know the story of the lovely young lady who plucked the handsome-but-too-tired-to-fox-trot soldier-on-leave from The Dog House in the middle of the dance floor at one of the regular Saturday night gatherings in the ballroom above the MagnaFlux factory where she worked at 4th and Broadway.
It was the start of a romance that would last a lifetime and mold many aspects of civic life in soon-to-boom, post-war suburban Los Angeles.
A New Career
Jackie and her loving husband Charles (who preceded her in death) moved to the Culver City area starting in 1947 where she started her involvement in community affairs, pushing for street drainage as a member of the Sawtelle Basin Home Owners Assn.
Their grief at the loss of their firstborn, Danny Joe, was softened by the support of fellow newcomers in the community, many of whom were regulars at the monthly pinochle games hosted on Utopia Street.
Moving Day
In the summer of 1956, Jackie and Charles pulled up stakes. They moved their daughter Kathy and two sons, Chuck, Jr. and Rod, two miles east for the start of Sisters kindergarten year at Culver Elementary.
The Boys followed suit. In succeeding decades, Jackie would bring her zest for education and her zealous advocacy style to many areas of volunteer service in Culver City public schools. She was recognized by the Culver City Soroptimists for her contributions to the PTA and American Field Service. She was host-mother to three AFS foreign exchange students at the high school Jenny from Australia; Fleur from The Netherlands, and Liva from Norway.
Planning a Future
With her children out of school, Jackie embraced her passion for planning and development, which she had discovered sitting evenings with her husband at the kitchen table reviewing Bilt-Rite Cabinet blueprints for buildings and subdivisions.
Jackie first served as a Culver City Planning Commissioner in the 1970s. Over time, both on and off the commission, she gained such a reputation for spotting concerns in the citys review of Environmental Impact Reports that full copies of new proposals were regularly delivered to her front door for detailed inspection and reply.
And, reply she did. Jackie was a fixture in Council Chambers. In 2004, with Charles at her side, she was honored by Mayor Steve Rose and members of the City Council for her many years of service.
Her Beloved Homeowner Friends
While her city award was among the highlights of her life, Jackie felt no honor could compare to the value of the relationships that she and Charles formed, especially with friends who helped breathe new life into the Culver City Homeowners Assn., which met for many years in their Culver City home.
Jackie became known as a mentor when it came to coaching others how to be involved in community affairs. She and Charles opened their home to manage countless grassroots campaigns for candidates and referenda.
More of Her Affiliations
Jackie was also an enthusiastic member of the Culver City Historical Society, the Episcopal parish church of St. Mary in Palms and a volunteer at St Josephs Center until her lack of mobility slowed her down.
Her accomplishments were many. They were always done without self credit of her own hard work.
Perhaps Jackie is best remembered for her ability to bring proponents of differing sides of an issue together to work on a common cause for the betterment of the community.
Surviving Family
She is survived by her three children, Kathleen (John Engman), Charles Robert, Jr. (Marilyn) and Roderick John (Linda), five grandchildren, Jennifer (Martell), Nicholas, Natalie, Anne and Charlie, and three great grandchildren, Kyle, Alexa and Chance.
