George Rebane
The Rebane clans gathered this weekend in Nevada City to celebrate the marriage of granddaughter Fiona to Shawn. The ceremony and festivities took place on Sunday at the Stone House, the town’s iconic restaurant and wedding venue that started life as a brewery in 1850. This was preceded and followed by more breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for family and guests at the homes of our now local tribe. It was truly a joyous occasion for the marriage of our third granddaughter. This little missive contributes to the occasional summaries of the many blessings that Jo Ann and I have received over the years since we first met on 21 September 1959 as undergraduates at UCLA. Make no mistake, enough of our road together has also had its inevitable unpaved stretches, but this is a happy recounting of a paved part.
As we gathered in the wonderfully redone venue with its large dining area, gathering rooms, bandstand and dance floor, and bar (and a very professional and competent staff of a local wedding planner and caterer), Jo Ann and I confirmed that we had the most birthdays of all the attendees. The entire affair with all our kids, grandkids, great grandkids, more family, and friends came to be because of that chance meeting at the Pan Hellenic All-Pledge Dance at the beginning of the fall semester sixty years ago – we two are fortunate to be at the headwaters of a large causal basin of new lives, witnessing the many arrows that we have launched into the future. The nearby photo shows us with our very involved great-grandmunchkins Lucy, Rae, Atticus, and Nell.
Our family has spread itself out over a wide spectrum of endeavors and locales. Oldest daughter Sini and husband Roland head up our ‘Northern Tribe’. Roland continues a long career at Microsoft Research on the bleeding edge of AI research. Sini, a former software engineer, is a school administrator and semi-professional photographer. Our ‘Southern Tribe’ picked up stakes last year and moved here to live in Nevada and Placer counties. Daughter Teine closed her longtime organizing business in SoCal, and decided to start a new career in professional dispute resolution for which she is now in the middle of Pepperdine University Law School’s Masters of Dispute Resolution program, an area for which life has well-prepared her.
The grandchildren, all adults now, have dispersed themselves over much of the country. Oldest granddaughter Claire (mother of the munchkins) lives in Denver with software engineer husband David. One grandson Sean is an audio engineer working in Nashville for a leading audio production and processing enterprise. Another grandson Lucas is a mountain climber and outdoor photographer working for a leading sports and camping gear company. Another granddaughter Elizabeth is in the middle of a heavy-duty cancer research program at UCLA going for her doctorate in molecular biology and neuro science. Another granddaughter Catherine, married last year, is a clinical trials administrator for a company in the Seattle area where she lives with her transport systems engineer husband Collin who works for a large international truck manufacturer doing autonomous vehicle development.
Fiona is studying and working in holistic health (that’s the best I can make of it). She lives locally with her brand new hubby who is an electrician getting ready to get his contractor’s license. Casting an eye over the lot of our ‘issue’ gives us much to be thankful for. We look back and recall our decision to start young – we married before graduation against all advice – so that we could still be around to see the many fruits of our labors. Thank the good Lord, it has worked out.
Congrats. Keep that DNA line moving along.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 01 October 2019 at 02:07 PM
Congratulation George and Jo Ann. Well Done!
Posted by: Russ | 01 October 2019 at 04:16 PM
You and Jo Ann have much to be proud of. I can think of little else more satisfying than a family get-together with several generations in attendance.
Posted by: Scott O | 01 October 2019 at 05:19 PM
Joyess news our good Doc. Thanks for sharing!
Best wishes for the whole family.
Please tell us you didn't try to open the champagne bottle with cutlery again.
Posted by: Walt | 01 October 2019 at 05:30 PM
Walt 530pm - Ah yes, sabraging the champagne - I knew I forgot something important that today gives great comfort to my beloved bride and daughters - everyone else would have really enjoyed that little manipulation of cutlery. I still have one last granddaughter to wed, a timely reminder would be appreciated for that occasion ;-)
Posted by: George Rebane | 01 October 2019 at 06:29 PM
Well give me advanced warning and a VERY good bottle will be on the way from Dingle Ireland. And maybe a case of Cornish hard cider.
Posted by: Walt | 01 October 2019 at 06:53 PM
Dr. Rebane, you and Jo Ann have much to be grateful for. Your quiver is full, your joy overflows and is abundant. Indeed, you are blessed.
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 01 October 2019 at 07:00 PM
It is refreshing to hear good news about the blessings bestowed upon you and yours. Congratulations to the newly wed and your family.
Posted by: MikeL | 02 October 2019 at 05:10 AM