euskalkultura.eus

02/05/2023 - San Rafael, California, USA

Jean Perez, 92 years old, peacefully passed on February 5, 2023.

Jean was born in St Martin d' Arrossa, France and raised in St. Etienne de Baigorry, France in the Basque Pyrenees.

Jean served in the French army as a corporal in the 24th colonial infantry regiment.

Following his service, in 1953, he ventured to the United States as a contracted sheepherder in Elko, Nevada for four years.

He returned to France for a short time, where at a village dance, in St. Pied de Port, France, the only dance Jean ever attended up to that time, was a beautiful outgoing Spanish Basque woman, named Francesca, from Yrurita, Spain who worked as an au pair for the local flour mill owner. Jean mustered up the courage to ask Francesca for a dance. The rest is history.

They married in January 1958.

Jean, anxious to return to the United States, convinced his bride that the United States was the land of opportunity if you worked hard, so with courageous optimism, they left their families, homeland and culture comforts for a new life in San Francisco, CA.

In September 1958, they set up residence in Hotel du Midi, off Broadway, in San Francisco, a well-known boarding house amongst Basques, French and Spaniards starting out in America.

Within a week, Jean began work at a French laundromat. He soon knew this type of work was not for him. A friend had told him about a French gardener who worked in Marin County and needed a worker. Jean took the greyhound bus to Marin County, and accepted the job.

Jean moved to Fairfax, CA and soon knew landscape gardening was his path and within a few years started his own gardening business of 54 years in Marin County.

They had two daughters, Monique and Christine.

In 1962, they bought their first and only home in the newly developed Terra Linda, CA. A very proud moment for them.

Jean was a soft-spoken, extremely hard-working man, who had an immense passion for landscaping, gardening, as well as fishing and hunting and everything outdoors.

He surrounded himself with good friends and family and was always generous and helpful with everyone he met.

Jean is survived by his wife Francesca, devoted daughters Monique Prandi and Christine Perez, his grandchildren, Alex Prandi and Vanessa Moschetti and great-grandchildren Ellie Jean and Logan Moschetti and his only surviving sister, Sister Juanita and many nephews and nieces.

He is predeceased by his parents Eufracio and Balbina Perez, brothers Eliseo, Anastacio, Lucien, Paul and sister, Delphine.

His family will remember a man who succeeded in life, far from France, founded a beautiful family and fulfilled his American dream.

A funeral mass will be held at St Isabella's Church, 1 Trinity Way, San Rafael CA on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 11:00 am followed by a lunch.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite charity.

(published by Marin Independent Journal, Legacy.com on Feb. 14, 2023)

Goian Bego (GB) - May Rest in Peace