PACIFIC GROVE – Anita Starr may not have a family but she has an abundance of friends who love and care for her and are working toward fulfilling her wish of living out her days at home with her dog, going so far as establishing a GoFundMe page to pay her expenses.
Some would know the 103-year-old Starr as the former hostess – she retired at 96 – of the Fishwife in P.G. Until recently, she was able to live on a modest pension and social security to get by. But her health has declined and though her mind is still sharp for a centenarian she is confined to bed.
“I’ve been her next-door neighbor for about 20 years,” said Al Saxe. “Anita is a very special person.”
Saxe said describing Starr as a glass-is-half-full type of person does not do her justice. She has a way of ingratiating herself with whoever she meets, calls people “dear,” and leaves an indelible mark on those she encounters. He bonded with her many moons ago and has always been happy to help her whenever she needed something or just a lift somewhere. But for the most part, Starr was an independent woman who walked everywhere, he said, until she was about 102.
A few months ago Starr came down with pneumonia and was thought to have only a week to live. During that time, neighbors came together to purchase a burial plot in the P.G. cemetery. She was given the anointing of the sick, a sacrament of the Catholic Church administered to a person who is in danger due to sickness or old age.
Starr rallied and beat the illness, but it left her bedridden and requiring 24-hour care which quickly wiped out what savings she had. That is where the love of friends and the community came in. Neighbors provided food and company for Starr and her beloved dog Coco. Fundraisers, garage sales and a donation from the Fishwife restaurant helped get her through Christmas. Saxe said her next goal is to see her 104th birthday.
A native of New Zealand, Anita Johnson was born April 16, 1915. She came to the United States to pursue a career as a script writer in Hollywood, changed her name to Starr, and would get to know the likes of Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and James Dean who she saw before he died in an auto accident on his way to a race in Salinas in 1955.
The estate of her good friend Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen in the television series “The Adventures of Superman,” allows her to live in her tiny, modest cottage in Pacific Grove for the rest of her life.
But without her round-the-clock, in-home care funded by her friends and the community Starr would likely be forced to live in a nursing facility and lose her loving, devoted companion of over eight years – Coco.
“I made a commitment along with other neighbors to do things for her,” said Saxe.
Saxe, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran, holds power of attorney for Starr. He said he is motivated by something he experienced long ago in the jungles of Vietnam that burned into his psyche.
“I stayed all night with the body of a young GI who was killed. I came back alive and I feel that since I stayed with him that night, he stayed with me on my tour,” said Saxe who wants to be there for Starr.
“I want see Anita stay in her home until she dies. And that’s my feeling, that no man be left behind, and in this case, no human being be left behind. Basically she’s my neighbor and that’s what neighbors do,” said Saxe.
Starr’s neighbor said the GoFundMe page could not get started without a power of attorney. He got in touch with a lawyer who walked them through the process and using two credible witnesses and Starr’s consent, he was granted power of attorney and established the GoFundMe page with the help of local high school kids.
Through it all, neighbors and community members have helped in taking care of Starr. Neighbors young and old, dog walkers, professional and volunteer caregivers, have all come together for the comfort of Starr.
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue is providing dog-walking services for Coco, while Meals on Wheels has Starr as its oldest client to date providing her with daily meals to sustain her including hot and cold dishes.
Jill Haylings, a Meals on Wheels delivery driver for 26 years, said all three meals are delivered in one package for each client and can include a hot meal, soup, salad, sandwich, yogurt, cereal, and waffle.
On Thursday, Haylings was delivering Starrs’ meals while Megan Taylor and Bobbi Foster were tending to her needs.
With the help of a hearing device, Starr said she was happy with all the help from friends and neighbors, “Oh my, yes,” she said.
As her caregivers worked together to stand her up while they slipped a sweater on her, Starr was reminded of activities she used to enjoy. “I still love to dance and swim too,” she said.
But though Starr is being taken care of, funds from her savings, stocks, and sales of old pictures and memorabilia, have been depleted and donations are coming in small increments.
“It’s an uphill struggle but the more people who know about it … so many people know her. She got a hospitality award twice and has brought a lot to the restaurant business in P.G.,” said Saxe.
On the GoFundMe campaign page, Saxe said “We are tasked with proving that Pacific Grove is truly America’s last hometown and that old lives matter too. If any funds donated to Anita are not spent at her death (they) will be donated to SPCA of Monterey County and the Pacific Grove Community High School. I am Anita’s neighbor and it is gut wrenching to think that someone who is so loving might have her life end in an institution and her dog in a kennel both with broken hearts. Please help!”
Find the GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/old-lives-matter-too. For individuals who want to donate by check, or church or civic groups that wish to help, contact Saxe at alsaxepg@gmail.com.
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue’s mission is to be a resource and advocate for senior dogs and senior people on California’s Central Coast focusing on helping dogs and people from Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. www.peaceofminddogrescue.org/index.php
Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula is a nonprofit organization that delivers meals to more than 500 clients. It has its own commercial kitchen for on-site meal preparation, employs six full-time and seven part-time staff, 368 active volunteers, 216 of which are volunteer drivers to deliver meals. www.mowmp.org/
