Celebration includes three new plaques on Kids Park Wall
The City of Avalon was honored to celebrate three noble citizens on Saturday, April 23, who have spent a lifetime improving and inspiring the lives of Avalon’s youth. Whether it is through the multiple hours spent volunteering, creating programs, mentoring, or through philanthropic endeavors, these individuals; Jim Felix Sr., Nancy Delehant, and Steve Hall have positively affected and changed the lives of our youth on the Island.
Although all three did not do service to be honored or for recognition, they did or do it for the love of their craft, art, and community. But we as a City want the community to know their stories and to have an opportunity to thank them for their contribution to our lives and the lives of our youth. Through the words of our Mayor Anni Marshall, “They are all an inspiration on how we ourselves can change the lives of our youth and our community simply through giving.”
The Honorees
Jim Felix Sr: Baseball and Softball
Jim Felix Sr. was born Jan. 11, 1928 in Nord, California. He was the youngest of 15 siblings. He moved to the island with his wife Virgie in 1954, after serving in the Navy. Along with his daughter Patse, sons, Jim (Sparrow) 2nd and Richard (Mouse), later having Isaac Felix on the Island. He raised his family and worked for the Island Company where he retired years later.
Jim had a passion for baseball and played in men’s league, and was there to watch Virgie play the woman’s softball league; at the old field of dreams. Jim coached Avalon Rotary Little League for over 20 years, he was an assistant coach for the Avalon Girls Softball team as well. He was dedicated to serving his community; he was a part of Avalon Lions Club served as President and was an active member for 50 years.
Jim would host clinics with the Lions Club, coaching little league and girls softball, taking kids to Dodger games, working tirelessly on the old Joe Machado field. There are memories of watching Jim meticulously drag and line the field, it was an art form, like watching a monk carefully placing each pebble on a mandala to create a masterpiece, knowing it would disappear at the end of a game.
But the joy was getting out and doing it perfectly again and again. It spoke to the importance of detail, discipline, and the joy of simplicity that you needed to play ball and an example of virtue you can carry through life. Everything he did, he loved. It brought him great joy to work with Avalon kids. Many of his former players said Jim was a man of little words. But when he spoke you listened, because you knew the words were accurate, to the point and he was rarely wrong. The Strong Silent type. He was respected by the kids and the adults because he lived his life by his truths.
Much like the game of baseball, you can’t fake being a player, your stats say everything, Jim’s stats in life spoke loudly, about the man he was, so he didn’t have to. Again Jim may not have been the coach who sat you down to talk deeply about life, but would give you direct advice and through his life, be the example.
Jim left a lasting imprint on all who knew and love him, he was a great man, with a warm heart, a great sense of humor, and a constant guide to lean on when in need of sound advice, and could always tell you what you could do to help with your swing!
Nancy Delehant: Girl scouts and Beach bingo
Nancy came to the Catalina Island on a cruise in 1991 and fell in love with it. After a few months Nancy and her family moved to Two Harbors where she began working for the Catalina Express. With three young sons she became involved in youth sports and activities in the community. After 5 years Nancy began working for the Island Company and moved into Avalon.
Nancy got involved in Girl Scouts in 2000, when her daughter enrolled and shortly after became the leader. During her 20 years as leader you probably ran into and “her girls” holding meetings in the bank, community church, park, interpretative center, volunteering at a community event or selling cookies throughout the town. Over the years Nancy had girls in all 5 levels ranging from K-12 and in some years even had 50 girls at a time.
Nancy truly believed in The Girl Scout Promise: On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law: I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
She saw this promise and law even more important to our young ladies on the Island because someday they will be leaving the Island and entering the “real world” and Nancy wanted to make sure they were PREPARED to be successful people in that world. So, she introduced them to that world by having The Girl Scouts raise money and worked toward events like mall madness – spending a night in the mall with thousands of other girls, camping trips to the interior and the Boy Scout center in San Pedro, trips to the aquarium and science center, and volunteer days at the Ronald McDonald House in Long Beach.
Even after Nancy moved off the island in 2019, she still continued to commute back to the island from Huntington Beach at least twice a month to ensure the program could continue.
Nancy also became involved with the city as a volunteer and called beach bingo 2 times a week for the whole summer, after around 2008. Every dime raised went to youth programs. During her time, she raised over $40,000 for City Youth Programs. She used beach bingo as an opportunity to teach her Girl Scouts and other kids who wanted to be her “helpers” responsibility, money handling, and people skills. She loved having a beach full of families having fun and to this day still gets recognized as the “bingo lady.”
Steve Hall: Coach and Cultural Connector
Stevie as he is so lovingly referred as by his peers and simply Coach who grew up under him. He came from a large loving family with father Harold and Mother Margaret who raised him and along with his 10 brothers and two sisters. It was his mother’s ability to equally love her kids as well as still have love for all people around her, that shaped Coach to his values today.
Although Coach went to High School at La Salle overtown, he spent every summer here on the Island. And after Graduating from Saint Mary’s University in 1983 he came back to the Island and the people he loved. Steve then started teaching at Avalon Schools in 1989 as a Spanish teacher where he still is the longest tenured teacher. As a Gringo who spoke and taught the Hispanic language and his love for the culture, brought him to be the advocate for Hispanics in Avalon School and city wide. Helping the ELS students, guiding first generation parents through the system, and getting their kids into college, including many into his alma mater. Also, as the oldest Altar Boy, for the Catholic Church he has been able to connect our Hispanic students and parish to the word of God. Translating Sermons and teaching Catechism. Steve is always looking for a way to connect anyone to what is important in life.
But the one way he makes some of his strongest connections is through his love of basketball. Coach started coaching youth basketball in Avalon in 1986. He eventually took over the Varsity program in 1996. He started out like most coaches looking to teach the game and give opportunities to have fun. He quickly learned it was an opportunity through the game to shape young men’s lives. Coach uses the game to teach discipline, teamwork, incentive to improve school work, pride in how you perform and live your life. Coach has never been afraid to sit his best players down to teach a lesson to them and others. For me David Hart as a coach, that was brought into coaching by Steve Hall, I have taken many of lessons with me as well. First lesson he told me, “was all your decisions should be made with what is the best interest for the kids.” Not from a basketball standpoint but for them in life. I use that lesson now as a father.
Some believe Coach can be too close to his kids on a personal level. How can you be too close to family? Like his mother he shares his life and wants everyone he comes in contact with, to know they have a home and that they are cared about. He does this through his friendship, his faith, and through basketball.
We at the City of Avalon and the community of Avalon would like to thank Jim Felix Sr. Nancy Delehant and Steve Hall.
