Remembering Jimmy McCaverty

     Jimmy McCaverty was certainly one of the best known members of the Mira Costa High School Class of 1960.  When he passed on Dec. 18, 2017, the notice on Facebook attracted more than 400 responses within the first 24 hours.  A few days later, his daughter Christi posted a video of Jimmy looking back on his life.  It's here.
     An obituary appeared in the Beach Reporter Dec. 27, 2017.  There are photos below from his celebration of life on Jan. 6, 2018 at American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach, Calif.   In addition, this web page includes photos collected from other pages of MCHS60.com, with a few additions (like the Corvette photo below) that were first published on Facebook.  The slide show from the celebration of life is here.



Jimmy seemed to be everywhere in his latest Corvette--as he was in the earlier ones.

The celebration:  "Live Like Jimmy"

Jimmy's daughter, Christi McCaverty, spoke at the reception at O'Donnell Hall after the mass at American Martyrs Church.  Jimmy's son Brian was at the audio controls.  The family parked Jimmy's beloved Corvette in front of the church for the occasion.

The church was full with standing room only long before the event began.  The pastor later observed that twice as many people were there as would show up for Sunday services.

Like many others, Christi wore a decal with the theme of the day, "Live like Jimmy."

As about 1,000 others left the church, Mike Rambeau, Karen Richards Rambeau, Pam McEntyre, Jim McEntyre, Ken Allen, Kathy Allen and Diane Denholm Amendola posed in fromt of Jimmy's Corvette.

After the reception, many of Jimmy's friends gathered at Grunion's in Manhattan Beach.  This group consisted of Mira Costa classmates:  (from left) Dottie Savoie ('59), Sharon Archuleta Mansfield, Wayne Overbeck, Peggy Stone Bodmer, Karen Richards Rambeau, Nanci Corcoran Kelly and her sister Linda Corcoran Sandell ('57).

A ceiling tile from Grunion's became a memorial to Jimmy.

The MCHS Class of 1960 provided these flowers in Jimmy's memory.

Photos over the years...



This is Jimmy's senior picture as it appeared in 
the 1960 Hoofprints yearbook.

Ten years later in 1970, this photo of Jim and 
"Senga" (Agnes) appeared in the 10th Reunion memory book. 


In the Army:  Jim McCaverty and Dave McElhaney served in the same unit in Germany in 1961.



Moving forward many years, Bob Becker, Bob Stitchter and Jim McCaverty got together at the 
Mira Costa Class of 1960 35th Reunion in 1995.


Jimmy was the emcee at the Friday night event of the MCHS'60 40th Reunion in 2000.



At the 40th reunion, he posed with Priscilla Gibbons Haase



Jim McCaverty also posed with Bob Campbell and Jim O'Bosky at the MCHS'60 40th Reunion...



...and with others who attended American Martyrs School, 
Carmen Daugherty, Bob Wildenberg and Tim McClure. 



At the 45th Reunion, Jimmy was caught near the beverage collection at
the home of John Goodwin during an event there.

The 45th Reunion also included a hometown tour of Manhattan Beach.  Jimmy caught up with the tour group at the foot of the pier.  This photo was taken by Barbara Lewis Borak, who was on the tour.  A note for those who aren't Corvette buffs:  this is not the same red Corvette shown at the beginning of this web page.

Always a reunion-goer, Jimmy posed with the balloons at the Sunday picnic of the 45th.


Here's Jim McCaverty with Sharon Archuleta Mansfield at the podium during the 45th Reunion.

Jimmy was gregarious enough to be the life of any party or the emcee at any event, but he was also an excellent listener, as illustrated in this photo with Priscilla Gibbons Haase at the 45th Reunion.

There was a paddle-out and restaurant reception in Hermosa Beach in 2007 to celebrate the life of John Goodwin.  Here are Shirley Hall Conn and Jim McCaverty on that occasion. 

At the All-Class Reunion in 2010, Jimmy joined a group of others from the Class of 1960.  From left, they are:  Wayne Overbeck (kneeling), Mike Carden, Priscilla Gibbons Haase, Karen (Kay Ruppert) Suggs Darras, Jim McCaverty, Karen Richards Rambeau and Mike Rambeau.



Jimmy also joined Tony Colee (left) and Nancy Lewchuck Peterson at the MCHS All-Class Reunion in 2010.


There was an earlier All-Class Reunion in 2000.  Jimmy got together with Tony Colee then, too.  Hmmm...  When you put photos from different times in successive frames, you may notice interesting details.


Here are Jim McCaverty and Jon Haugen at the 2000 All-Class Reunion


Pam Schillinger Gaskell and Jimmy shared a laugh at dinner at Manhattan Bar and Grill
after the All-Class Reunion in 2000.

At the 55th Reunion in 2015, members of the Class of 1960 gathered at Jimmy's home for the "main event," then met for lunch the next day at the Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach.  That was followed by a cruise!  At the Bluewater, Jimmy is in the foreground--as usual.  From left around table:  Jim McCaverty, Christie Smith Goodwin, Carolyn Strong White, Ken Elling, Janet Nollan Elling, Barbara Lewis Borak, John Costello, Linda Reardon Neal, Vickie White Costello, Darlene Goodwin, Harry Borak, Bob Stichter, Don White, Mary Amo Graf and Steve Graf. 

On September 14-16, 2012, members of the Mira Costa Class of 1960 got together for a mini-reunion that included a Friday night gathering at Ercole's, the Saturday night "main event" at the home of Jim McCaverty and a Sunday picnic at Polliwog Park.  From left:  Jim McCaverty, Nancy Vening Cypert, Ken Allen and Kay (Karen) Ruppert Suggs Darras.

These are photos from the first event of the MCHS Class of 1960 55th Reunion, a gathering at the home of Jim McCaverty on Sept. 27, 2015.  From left:  Vickie White Costello, Mike Rambeau, Darlene Goodwin, Karen Richards Rambeau and Jim McCaverty.


Jimmy hosted many events for the MCHS Class of 1960.  This is the view from his home before the Manhattan Beach Civic Center construction was completed. 



Many members of the Class of 1960 first got to know Jimmy's daughter Christi when she attended all of the events at the 40th Reunion in 2000 to make a video



This photo of Jimmy with his brother Michael McCaverty and the photos below were first published on Facebook.



Jimmy was very close to his daughter, Christi.  The photos here are only a sampling of what has appeared on Facebook...



One of Jimmy's most amazing traditions was chartering a bus for a tour of L.A. watering holes on St. Patrick's Day.  This photo is from the 2014 event. 



Jimmy and his daughter Christi were passionate USC fans--although both graduated from other universities.



We'll end with this photo, which really needs no caption.  Jimmy lived a full life, didn't he?
 


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