By JUDE (JENNE) MILLER
On September 23, 1946, I became the third little girl to be born to Frank L. and Dorothy F. Jenne. That same year, my father was commissioned LT.JG. My dad literally left the farm to join the Navy in 1932. He started as a Seaman and retired as a Commander in 1963, after 31 years of service to his country.
Dad was stationed in Norfolk during one of his cruises. Looking for some R & R, he and his buddies went to a USO to dance with the local girls.There he saw one that stole his heart – my mother! The story they told my sisters and I so many times was that they were both dancing with other people to the song “I’m in the Mood for Love”, when they saw one another over the shoulders of their partners and fell in love!! Dad was 22 and Mom was 16. They were married within months of meeting and remained together for the rest of their lives. A true love story! Whenever their song came on the radio or the television, no matter what was going on in our house, Dad would go get Mom and they would dance while we sat and watched. To this day, it is one of my happiest memories.
My sisters, Peggy and Rita, and I were born at the Norfolk Naval Hospital. The family remained in Norfolk, close to my grandparents, when Dad went to the Pacific for WWII. I was born about nine months after he came back from his duty in the Pacific (a true baby boomer). We lived in Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, and of course, Coronado. I first saw Coronado as Mom, Dad, and I drove up the Strand. The sun was setting and I saw the Del. I was so excited I thought it was a fairy castle! I was in 2nd grade. My folks were visiting Jackie and Mac McCall, the caretakers of The Boat House. They actually lived in what we all came to know and love as the Chart House. After that night, Mom and Dad said they had found their home. We stayed in Coronado from 1953 to1958, went to Guam for two years and returned in 1960, never to leave. We were finally home!
Dad could not stray far from water and ships. After retirement, he signed on as the manager of the Coronado Yacht Club, a position he enjoyed for many happy years. Mom and Dad were not just avid golfers but fanatical golfers. Both were active in the Coronado Municipal Course and Sea and Air on North Island. Mom was president a couple of terms and took her responsibilities with joy. On a happy and sad note, she passed away the night of a tournament day in which she was the WINNER! Talk about going out in a blaze of glory. To quote her, “You drive for show and you putt for dough.” A champion to the end! They now rest together in Fort Rosecrans, peacefully watching the ships enter and leave their beloved harbor. Many a sunset I could see them from our beach.
I graduated from CHS in 1964. My children, Randi, Matthew, and Heather were delivered into this world in the Coronado Hospital by Dr. James Mushovic, a friend, revered physician, and a great guy all the way around. No matter where I go, my heart is always in Coronado. There is no place like home.