When students started leaving college during the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s community colleges feared losing state funding, which is based partly on enrollment. But now, one group is offering hope: students over the age of 50.

Last year, the state’s 116 community colleges saw an 11% increase in students over the age of 50 compared to the previous year — the highest percentage increase of any age group and just above the rate for students under 20. In contrast, students 20 to 29 continued to leave.

The enrollment numbers represent a shift for older adults, who left college at record rates during the start of the pandemic. By fall 2021, California’s community colleges had lost roughly 20% of their students compared to fall 2019, bringing the system to its lowest enrollment figures in decades.

College administrators say the rising number of students over 50 is a result of many factors, but they often point to the return of in-person classes after the end of pandemic-era restrictions.

“I come to these English classes because here, I don’t feel alone. I chat with my classmates, and they greet me back.”
— Hermelinda Figueroa, 80-year-old student

In general, student opinions are divided about online education. About 15% of California community college students surveyed in 2022 said they wanted more online classes, while 12.5% said they wanted more in-person classes, according to data from the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges. But for beginner-level students taking English as a second language at San Diego’s College of Continuing Education, many of them older, the preferences are clear.

“I come to these English classes because here, I don’t feel alone. I chat with my classmates, and they greet me back,” said Hermelinda Figueroa, 80, who comes to her two-hour class three times a week.

Bringing students back through fitness and health

The San Diego College of Continuing Education lost about half of its English as a second language students during the pandemic, but most of the students who left were beginners, said Jan Jarrell, a dean at the college. She said many beginner students were uncomfortable with technology or lacked reliable access to it. Teachers struggled to adapt, too.

“It’s all about person-to-person for me. When I use computers, I feel like I’ve lost an eye. I just don’t get it,” said Figueroa, squinting as if to emphasize the way she might look at a screen. She enrolled last year when more in-person classes became available.

Sitting behind Figueroa in class, Estene Petit-Homme, 50, is part of another demographic that’s boosting enrollment: recent immigrants. He traveled from his home in Haiti to the San Diego-Tijuana border, where he asked for asylum in February.

His application is one of a record nearly 1.6 million asylum cases currently on backlog in the immigration court system, according to a nonprofit research group associated with Syracuse University. While he waits for his day in court, he said he wants to learn to speak English better.

Hermelinda Figueroa, 80, works on an assignment during an English as a second language class at the Mid-City campus of the San Diego College of Continuing Education on Oct. 6, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

This fall, the San Diego College of Continuing Education has just shy of 6,700 English as a second language students — more than before the pandemic. Many of these students are over 50.

In Lake Tahoe, the local community college saw a nearly 60% increase in students over the age of 50 in the 2022-23 academic year, compared to the previous year. The main driver isn’t English; it’s two classes that focus on health and fitness for older adults, especially retirees.

“We were surprised by how well the Zoom classes did but it’s not nearly as good as what we’re seeing now that the doors are fully open,” said Lake Tahoe Community College President Jeff DeFranco, speaking of the wellness programs.

Other students in the same age group are still working but use the community college as an opportunity to improve their on-the-job skills. DeFranco said about 35% of the college’s students over 50 are firefighters, emergency medical technicians, or police officers who study at Lake Tahoe Community College because it has an established program focused on public safety. These students take classes as a way to get a job, to gain the skills needed for a promotion, or in some cases, because the classes are required by their current employer.

Uneven growth across California’s community colleges

As the number of students older than 50 fluctuated in the past few years, other trends emerged. More community college classes are now held in person than at the peak of the pandemic, but about half of classes are still online, according to Chancellor’s Office data from the 2022-23 academic year. Before the pandemic, about 21% of classes were online.

For years, the percentage of part-time, degree-seeking students rose. Today, it’s about two-thirds of the student population, according to data from the chancellor’s office. These part-time students are more likely to juggle work and family obligations, in addition to school.

To lure students back and encourage them to take more courses, colleges and lawmakers have spent millions in COVID-relief dollars on marketing campaigns and incentives.

Last year, the number of students under the age of 20 increased at a rate just below that of students over 50, driven mostly by high school students who take community college courses. These youngest students now represent the plurality on campus.

Students in an English as a second language class at the Mid-City campus of the San Diego College of Continuing Education on Oct. 6, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

While the growth is uneven, the total number of students increased by about 5% in the 2022-23 academic year compared to the year prior, according to data from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. It marks the first year of enrollment gains since the start of the pandemic. Official statewide data from the current fall semester is not available yet, but individual districts are already predicting more gains.

The San Jose Evergreen Community College District reported enrollment for the fall was up nearly 20%. The district could only provide preliminary data across age groups but a spokesperson said the “biggest growth” came from students over the age of 40.

“These enrollment numbers reflect a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” wrote Interim District Chancellor Beatriz Chaidez. “They also indicate that our community continues to see the value of its local colleges.”

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Data reporter Erica Yee contributed to this reporting.

Adam Echelman covers California’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on higher education.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Alvin Mauricio Medina works three jobs six days a week to support his family as the sole provider for their Los Angeles household. He’s a certified nursing assistant with a dream to move up to a higher-paying position in health care.

“I’m trying to better myself, I’m trying to move on to being a registered nurse. But here in California, with the low wages that we have, either you work or you’re going to school,” he said.

Now 45, he has been working in health care for more than 20 years and makes less than $22 an hour. While his main job is at a hospital in Hollywood, he picks up shifts as a nurse assistant at other hospitals to provide for his husband, who is unable to work, and two kids.

He’s expecting to get a break come January, thanks to a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last month that creates a higher minimum wage for health care workers. The measure, which gradually raises the industry minimum wage to $25 an hour, had support from both unions and the lobbying group that represents California hospitals. But lawmakers passed the bill — and Newsom signed it — without a cost estimate.

The costs are beginning to come into focus now that the Newsom administration is releasing projections for how the wage hike could drive up the price of providing health care to Californians for government agencies. That figure, at least $4 billion with about $2 billion from the state’s general fund and another $2 billion from the federal government, does not include anticipated pay increases for public employees.

The unions and lawmakers who advocated for the wage increase say it is necessary to improve the lives of overworked health care workers. Union representatives say many workers have quit their jobs, leaving health care systems understaffed and exacerbating conditions for other employees.

“These are everyday people doing their jobs, struggling to make ends meet, struggling to pay rent,” said Todd Stenhouse, spokesperson for AFSCME 3299, the union that represents blue-collar workers in the University of California health system. “They deserve stability, security. Their work deserves value.”

The new cost estimates are unsurprising to Republican lawmakers who opposed the wage increase. Democratic lawmakers passed the measure despite the state’s projected $31 billion budget deficit.

“This bill places astronomical labor costs on health care providers when hospitals across the state deal with financial losses,” said Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong of Bakersfield. “We were concerned that this bill will lead to reduced services, increased premiums, more hospital closures, reduced job opportunities.”

What minimum wage hike means for payroll

Lawmakers did not have cost estimates when they voted on the wage increase in part because the final bill reflected a last-minute deal between major health care employers represented by the California Hospital Association and the labor organization Service Employees International Union. Their pact replaced an earlier version that would have raised pay faster for workers.

While the original bill would have increased wages immediately to $25, the signed version would lead to a gradual increase in wages. Most workers will start making $25 an hour around 2027 or 2028.

About 500,000 health care workers are expected to see their pay eventually go up because of the new law. Some of them already earn $25 an hour or more, but wages could increase because of salary competition.

Some of the workers are employed by the state, either at the UC health system or in agencies such as the Department of State Hospitals.

An early fiscal analysis of the bill also estimated a $25 minimum wage for University of California health care workers would cost the state as much as $180 million. The UC does not have a new estimate for what the law will cost its hospitals and health centers.

The Newsom administration and the Legislative Analyst’s Office also are tallying up the payroll costs for other state offices. Finance Department spokesman H.D. Palmer said 26,000 state employees across 12 bargaining units will also see an increase in wages.

In the private sector, hospitals estimated the original bill with the immediate wage increase to $25 an hour would have cost them $8 billion. The California Hospital Association did not have a new estimate of projected costs when CalMatters requested one.

SEIU California Executive Director Tia Orr in a written statement said that most health care employers supported the wage increase. She said the union “has committed to working with the administration and the legislature to ensure safeguards are in place to guarantee that this critical measure is taken in a way that preserves California’s fiscal health, just as we did when negotiating the last statewide minimum wage increase. This is how you make progress –– through flexibility and compromise in achieving shared goals.”

Health care workers on public assistance

Newsom did not comment on the law when he signed it. In contrast, he attended an event hosted by SEIU when he signed a similar law that creates a $20 minimum wage in the fast-food industry.

Sen. María Elena Durazo, the Los Angeles Democrat who wrote the original health care wage increase, pointed to a different cost estimate for the law created by the UC Berkeley Labor Center. It projected the new law could save money by ensuring workers earn enough money to avoid using public assistance.

“This historic investment in the workers who take care of us and make our health care system function and accessible reminds us the true low-wage nature of most of these jobs. Hundreds of thousands of Californians will see their wages increase, and this means money in the pockets of healthcare workers to help support their families,” she said in a statement.

Gabriela Guevara, a medical receptionist at Clinica Sierra Vista in Fresno, believes the law will ease staffing challenges in her industry.

“It is going to better serve all the patients. The more staff we have, we are going to be able to give that quality of care for all the patients that are coming in,” she said.

Medina, the certified nursing assistant in Los Angeles, is hoping he’ll be able to quit one of his jobs when the new wage law takes effect. But he said he’ll have more free time.

“It is definitely going to let me spend more time with my kids,” Medina said. “It will let me go to school. And I don’t have to worry about being late to my third job or my second job, I can just focus on one.”

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure thatpeople have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Samantha Marie Calvin
November 4th, 1997- November 8th, 2023

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the untimely passing of our beloved Samantha. She was a cherished daughter, granddaughter, mother, sister, niece and cousin, leaving behind an irreplaceable void. Samantha was an extraordinary woman who touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Born on November 4th, 1997, Samantha brought immense joy and happiness to her family from the moment she entered their lives. She was a devoted mother to her daughters, Callie and Divinity. Samantha was a loving daughter to Trish Hostler, granddaughter to Millie and Keith Hostler Sr., sister to Qosos Hostler and Dusty Rhodes, niece to Sandra, Kristi, and Keith Jr. “Lil Boozer” Hostler, and cousin to many. Her presence brought light and laughter to every gathering.

As a mother, Samantha was an example of love and devotion. Her two daughters were the center of her world, and she poured her heart and soul into raising them. She instilled in them the values of kindness, resilience, and determination, ensuring they would grow up to be strong, independent women, just like their mother.

Samantha was fortunate to have her aunt and uncle, Sandra and Shade Calvin, as her loving guardians. They provided her with unwavering support, guidance, and unconditional love throughout her life. Their bond was unbreakable, and their presence in her life brought her immeasurable comfort and stability.

In addition to her role as a mother and niece, Samantha was a cherished friend to many. Her infectious laughter, warm personality, and genuine care for others made her a beacon of light in the lives of those around her. She had a unique ability to make everyone feel valued and loved, and her absence will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of calling her a friend. Though her time with us was tragically cut short, Samantha leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and resilience. Her memory will forever be etched in the hearts of her daughters, family, and friends.

Pallbearers: Dusty Rhoades, Valin Davis, Frank Benson, Paul Donahue jr, William, Zack, Justy and Robert Masten, Bud Hostler, Norvin Hostler, Clarence Hostler Jr., Nikwe Hostler, Mike Hostler, Gus and Jim Bowie.

Honorary pallbearers are Keith Hostler Sr., Clarence Hostler, Shade Calvin, Roger Sanderson, Rick Sanderson, Orico Bailey , Oscar Hostler, Loren Hostler, Robert Masten, Cesar Flores, Phillip Donahue, Josh and Steven Hostler, and E-wee Donahue. Advanced apologies to those who we may have overlooked.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Samantha will be held on Tuesday November 14th at the Hostler Family cemetery @ 2:00 p.m. A gathering to follow at the Hoopa Fire Hall. If anybody wishes to provide any flowers or food, please contact Celena Donahue @ 916-412-7122.

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There are people in this world — none reading this, I’m sure—to whom the orientation of a map doesn’t matter. A town map, perhaps outside a local tourist information center, where east or west or (horrors) south is at the top is grounds for, at the least, imprisonment, IMHO. North belongs on top of a map, any map, and dammit that’s just how the world is.

[Speaking of the world, it’s fun to imagine how it would be different if civilization had arisen in the southern hemisphere. Instead of Babylon, Athens and Rome, if the earliest cities had arisen on the Rio Plata in South America and the Orange River in South Africa, maps would be oriented with south up. Clocks would go, um, counterclockwise, because the earliest clocks were based on how the shadow of a sundial shifts—in the northern hemisphere. It’s opposite south of the equator, where the sun moves from right to left. “Fall” (when leaves fall) would be March to June. And, guessing here, the art of long-distance navigation would have arisen slower than it did: “up” here, Polaris, the North Star, is a smidgen off from due north. In the southern hemisphere, the closest bright star to the celestial south pole, Miaplacidus, is a full 20 degrees off kilter.]

I thought about orientation after posting a drone photo of the whale — The Whale — that, as of this writing, is lying on Second Street between F and G. Three local muralists — Blake Reagan, Kyle Sanders and Chris Dmise — created this oversize humpback in about four hours for the Friday Night Market last October 20. This is what I posted:

A slew of folks responded, positively, to the artwork, but several pointed out that my pic showed the poor cetacean upside down. So I reposted, after photoshopping out the cars:

Night and day, right?

Meanwhile, one benighted commentator thought the whale was headed south down Second. But Second Street runs more or less west-east — see the compass rose at the foot of F Street.

See what I mean about orientation?

Congressman Jared Huffman joins the show to discuss the current happenings in Washington D.C. — Who the heck is Speaker Mike Johnson? Will we pass a continuing budget resolution? Why would any thinking person want to be a United States Representative? — and his legislative priorities. From offshore wind to Eel River dams to nickel mining on the Smith River, Congressman Huffman has a lot to share. Listen in to learn more.

In 1966 I was a junior at Fortuna High School. At night, I would often sit in my parents’ car in the cold garage and listen to the music played on the San Francisco radio station KFRC. Some of the music was bland and sentimental. But some of the music was pure dynamite — blazing guitars, pounding drums and desperate vocals.

I felt the urgent power of rock music. It seeped into me and it made me feel part of something larger than myself and the town of Rio Dell where I grew up. Few of my friends had the same reaction. I was just an isolated son of a logger — looking to find more despite living in what seemed to me a cultural backwater. So, I had a strong feeling of restlessness. I wanted to move to the big city, where, looking back, I now realize that I would have simply been lost in the crowd. I am glad that I stayed put, for as it turned out, I found musical treasures in Humboldt County in my early years that affected me deeply.

Probably the most amazing and unlikely appearance by any band during this time was in the autumn of 1966 when the British group The Yardbirds played the Eureka Municipal Auditorium. The Yardbirds were very well-respected and popular, and more than any other band at the time, they were a home for some of rock’s greatest guitarists. Eric Clapton was their original guitarist, but when the band hit Eureka, it boasted two heavyweights: Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Looking back, it seems incomprehensible that these guys did a concert in Eureka (and also in Arcata on the same night). I recall being right up by the stage, and though the vocals were drowned out somewhat, it was mesmerizing to see these guys in action. One specific moment that I recall is that when the band was through playing, a girl to my right in the audience started waving her arms and yelling at Jimmy Page. After a moment, she was able to attract his attention. She yelled out asking for his guitar pick. He smiled, bent down at the edge of the stage, and handed it to her — also giving her a gracious smile. This actually happened over fifty years ago, though that does not seem at all possible. I wonder where she is today.

Rock pioneer, street poet and guitar innovator Chuck Berry played the Eureka Municipal Auditorium and Humboldt State on two separate trips to the area. He was a master showman with his patented on-stage duck walk and his clear, ringing guitar playing. His performance in Eureka was witnessed by the largest crowd that I have ever seen at the Municipal Auditorium.

The Grateful Dead played the Eureka Municipal Auditorium on January 20, 1968. Considering how many studio and live recordings have been released over the years by the Dead, and all their devoted fans, it’s amazing to think that when the band played in Eureka it was only just months after the release of their first album. The group consisted at this time of their original members and even back then they were experimenting with their unique improvisation and their innovation of blending one song into another. An interesting note is that Eureka was the Dead’s first stop on their first-ever multi-city tour, which included only four cities, Eureka, Ashland and Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Also, it is sad but true, this was the first and only time this revered band ever played in Humboldt County. And what was the ticket price for this concert? A mere $3.00, which was the price for almost all the shows in these years. The cost of going to a concert being what it was meant that pretty much anybody could afford a ticket — no one was priced out of attending, as is the case today. Live music was accessible to everyone.

During this time it was fairly common for veteran bluesmen to tour college campuses. One such show came to Humboldt State featuring Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie Musselwhite. I remember John Lee Hooker sitting on stage in a chair growling through his set of raw music. Performing that night in Charlie Musselwhite’s band was a very young Robben Ford. This guitarist, originally from Ukiah, has had a long career as both a rock and jazz guitar player.

Guitar great Mike Bloomfield played Redwood Acres on Halloween night in 1969.

When the Chicago-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band broke up, both of the band’s illustrious guitarists, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop, moved to the Bay Area. Elvin Bishop came up to Humboldt on two separate occasions. His shows were very energetic, with his infectious personality and his blues-based guitar virtuosity.

Mike Bloomfield and his band played an indoor concert at Redwood Acres on October 31, 1969. Considered one of the most eminent guitarists in the U.S. at the time, he was a craftsman when it came to blues guitar, and his performance featured several slow, aching solos.

Another remarkable appearance during this time — and a concert I did not see myself, but only heard about, so I will put an asterisk on this one — was when two brothers from Florida (who were living temporarily in California) showed up with their band called the Allman Joys. The brothers were Duane and Gregg Allman, and this was before they had a recording contract and changed their name to the Allman Brothers. Unlike the musicians mentioned above, they would have probably been completely unknown to most of those who were lucky enough to see them.

It is noteworthy that all the performers noted so far are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (except Robben Ford and Charlie Musselwhite). I remember another future Hall of Famer who played the Eureka Municipal Auditorium somewhere around this time with his band called the Blue Buffalo. It was not an especially memorable concert, but the leader of this group was Dewey Martin. He had been the drummer for the defunct Buffalo Springfield who were later (years after this concert) inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In addition to the concerts I have listed above, there were plenty of other concerts, primarily at Humboldt State, given by bands and singers, and all were great events. Among those giving live performances were Canned Heat, The Grass Roots, The Association, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Country Joe and the Fish, Commander Cody, Lamb, The Quicksilver Messenger Service, Clover, The Youngbloods, It’s A Beautiful Day, Buffy St. Marie, John Stewart and Maria Muldaur.

In the summer of 1969, I saw Texas rocker Doug Sahm and his band, The Sir Douglas Quintet, at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium. There was something about that night and the Tex-Mex blend of music that was magical. It was a warm July evening and the churning mix of organ and guitar evoked a faraway place. I followed Doug’s musical career with interest and devotion from then on, and subsequently saw him and his band several more times over the years.

There was also in Humboldt County at this time a second tier of live music venues where one could see the struggling musicians — hard-working folks who I could relate to on a more personal level. There were three such locations: The Lemon Tree in Arcata, The Olive Branch in Eureka, and The Fig Twig in Ferndale. I attended numerous shows at the Olive Branch, a very comfortable concert and dance hall where I always felt completely at home. Often on weekends a band from the Bay Area would be on stage. Most of these bands were relatively unknown and usually had no record releases, but that did not matter as the music was always loud and the atmosphere festive. One show in particular that I remember was an appearance by the Sons of Champlin, a great band with a precision horn section. If there was not a band from the Bay Area performing, it was usually the unofficial “house band” of the Olive Branch, God’s Country, who took the stage. This group, which included Mike Stull, was the premier homegrown Eureka band at the time and played frequent concerts in the area.

In February 1970, I was in San Francisco and saw the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore. Also on the bill that night was a band called Bigfoot (contrary to what their name might imply, the group was from Los Angeles).

A weekend night a few weeks later at the Fig Twig, the band that took the stage was none other than Bigfoot. Between sets, I saw their keyboard player standing near me so I walked up to him and said something to the effect that: “I saw you at the Fillmore sharing the bill with the Grateful Dead and now you are way up here playing the Fig Twig. Quite a contrast.” In a slightly irritated manner, he looked at me and said, “Man, you can get heavy or you can get light.” He then promptly walked away. I have never forgotten this moment, thinking that this seemingly trite observation was a kind of a simple but recognizable summation of the times that we were living in.

I acknowledge that my recollections above are not the full picture of music in Humboldt County at this time. I was not in the position to hear much live music in the Eureka area in the summers of 1968 (I worked, and was stuck all summer, along the Mattole River between Petrolia and Honeydew); 1969 (lived and worked in Myers Flat); and 1970, 1971 and 1972 (lived and worked in Mendocino County, near Fort Bragg). So, there may have been great performances that to this day I am not aware of. I was most fortunate, though, that during the three summers I spent on the Mendocino Coast, there just happened to be an incredible rock and roll band that played and lived there during this time. They were originally from New York City (their first album was recorded there and was produced by Jimi Hendrix), but they somehow ended up in Northern California. I saw them in person upwards of fifteen times. The band was Cat Mother and they will never be forgotten by folks in that area.

From what I remember, those attending these shows were almost exclusively under the age of twenty-five. As far as rock music was concerned, there was a definite generation gap during those years. Rock music was generally denounced and vilified in newspaper editorials, from church pulpits and by social commentators. It was considered to be mindless noise created by ill-bred degenerates. It was dismissed as an unfortunate fad that could not fade away into oblivion soon enough. Even within my generation, there were plenty of classmates and friends who all but completely ignored it. Still, it persisted and prevailed. I do not mean to exaggerate its importance. In the big scheme of things, it is perhaps not all that significant. However, back when I was just a small-town kid in the audience at these shows, I felt a power and energy and connection that helped define my life. I felt part of a movement — and I am so glad such a feeling was possible at such a place and at such a time.

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The story above was originally printed in the Winter 2017 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Brandon James Ledger. Brandon was born on January 16, 1999, and lived a full life of warmth, kindness and dedication until his untimely demise on October 4, 2023.

Known to all as Brandon James Ledger, he was a man of incredible character. His sweet, caring, and hardworking nature was a beacon of light that shone brightly unto others. His love for teaching new skills at work was unmatched, and those who worked alongside him were always blessed with his wisdom and guidance.

Brandon’s professional life was marked with commendable achievements, including his roles as a proficient forklift driver and operator of a successful wood business. However, his great accomplishments extend far beyond his career. His most cherished legacy is the unwavering trust and love he built and left behind.

Brandon is survived by his loving fiance, Moriah Wilson. His enduring love also extended to his stepchildren, Sequoia Wilson, Alexander Wilson, Cory Roberts II, and Malikih Wilson, who he loved as his own. His parents, Tiffany Kimbrough and Jim Ledger, and his siblings, Aunna Beckwith and Jack Beckwith, also survive him, among many of his coworkers and closest friends. These family ties were the bedrock of his existence, and his love for them knew no bounds.

The void left by Brandon’s departure is immense, and he is already deeply missed by his beloved stepchildren, his devoted fiancé, loving coworkers and his cherished family. His memory will forever serve as a beacon of trust, love and diligence that will continue to inspire everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

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