The Widows’ and Orphans’ Aid Association of the San Francisco Police Department held their monthly meeting at 850 Bryant Street room 125 on Tuesday April 10, 2018.
Roll Call: President Leroy Lindo, Vice President Ray Kane, Secretary Mark McDonough, Treasurer Dean Taylor, Trustees Jim O’Meara, Al Luenow, Rob Forneris, Ryan Walsh, and Bookkeeper Sally Foster were present. Trustee Lou Barberini was excused.
Approval of the Minutes: Vice President Ray Kane made a motion to accept the minutes from last month’s meeting. Trustee Al Luenow seconded the motion. The motion passed without objection.
Receiving Applications, Suspensions, and Reinstatements: Vice President Ray Kane and Trustee Jim O’Meara will respond to the Police Academy on May 2, 2018 and present the WOAA for membership. There were no suspensions or reinstatements. Any “unpaid member” for 2018 will be identified and suspended by order of President Lindo at our May 2018 meeting.
Communications and Bills: Treasurer Dean Taylor addressed the death benefits for payment to the beneficiaries of Doug Mitchell, Frank Kerlin, and Gary Frederick. Treasurer Taylor also presented the regular monthly bills to be paid. Trustee Rob Forneris made a motion to pay the death benefits and the regular monthly bills. Trustee Jim O’Meara seconded the motion. The motion passed without objection.
Report of Visiting Committee: No report this month.
Report of Trustees: We were informed of the sad news, of two of our member’s passing:
Lester E. Hance, age 90: Lester Eugene Hance was born in Scobey, Montana on July 10, 1927. Lester’s family moved throughout the western states during the great depression and eventually settled in San Francisco, California in the year 1942. Lester, known as Gene, graduated from Sacred Heart High School. He graduated early to enlist in the United States Navy in early 1945. After his discharge from the Navy, Gene attended U.S.F. and met his future wife Nancy at a St. Phillip’s dance on January 24, 1947. They were married on August 11, 1951. Prior to marriage, Gene joined the San Francisco Police Department on July 1, 1949. Gene wore star #1408. Gene worked the following assignments during his nearly 29 year career: Potrero Police Station (July 18, 1949), City Prison (March 29, 1951), Northern Police Station (August 11, 1952), HDQ BSS (February 16, 1956), and his last assignment was at the Bureau of Inspectors (April 11, 1960). Gene was promoted to Asst. Inspector on February 20, 1963, and to full Inspector on November 1, 1965. Lester Eugene Hance retired with a Disability Pension on February 13, 1978. Gene had been very active at the St. Phillip the Apostle Parish, most memorably as a lector. Lester was preceded in death by his wife Nancy, his siblings Josephine, Myrtle, Wilbur, Wilmar, Phyllis, and Warren. Lester is survived by his beloved sons, James Phillip, and Paul Eugene (Lisa), and his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Renota Chris Martinez, age 54: Renota Chris Martinez entered the San Francisco Police Department on December 2, 1991. Renota wore star #1425, and worked the following assignments during her twenty-six plus year career: Potrero Police Station (May 13, 1992), Central Police Station (August 8, 1992), Richmond Police Station (July 31, 1993), Taraval Police Station (August 26, 1995), Park Police Station (February 21, 1998), Taraval Police Station (April 3, 1999), Renota was promoted to the rank of Q-50 Police Sergeant on December 21, 2000, Bayview Police Station (September 13, 2003), Richmond Police Station (November 5, 2004), Bayview Police Station (December 6, 2004), Field Training Office and promoted to the rank of Q-60 Lieutenant (November 6, 2010), Taraval Police Station (January 14, 2012), Airport Bureau (October 1, 2013), Airport Bureau FOB (January 2, 2014). Renota retired on March 16, 2018 and succumbed to a fatal illness in April of 2018.
Report of Special Committee: Bookkeeper Sally Foster reported on the Constitution and By-Laws rewrite. Sally is hopeful that all the member’s correct addresses will be gathered and verified prior to June. A ballot will be mailed to the membership to cast a vote, for or against, the new proposed changes. We will continue to print updates up to the mailing date. Many of our members have changed address locations and did not inform us. The success of mailing the ballots, and mailing bills or information is incumbent on current membership address and contact numbers.
Unfinished Business: See Report of Special Committee above.
New Business: No report this month.
Good of the Order: No report this month.
Adjournment: President Lindo led the WOAA Board in a moment of silence for all of our fallen members. Lindo then scheduled our next meeting for Tuesday May 8, 2018. The meeting will be held at room 125 at 850 Bryant Street in San Francisco at 1230 pm.
To All Members: To all members who send us their dues payments, or any communication through the U.S. mail, please take note that our mailing address is: WOAA, P.O. BOX 4247, San Rafael, CA 94913-4247. Please note that our former P.O. Box 880034 in San Francisco has been closed out for over a year. Visit our website at sfwidowsandorphans.org where you can access beneficiary forms. For beneficiary changes click on the Resources box on our face page. New beneficiary changes require a signature of a Notary, or a signature by one of our Board Members. The SFPOA has a free Notary service for active and retired S.F.P.D. Officers. Please use this form for any contact number or address changes. A Notary or Board Member signature is not required for address or contact number changes. Failure to update the WOAA regarding address changes has resulted in suspensions for many of our members, and in some cases the members were dropped from our organization. The yearly bills do not reach the new location of some members and they ultimately are suspended and dropped for failure to pay their dues. Each month we give our thanks to several people who assist our organization: Retired S.F.P.D. Captain Paul Chignell who is currently the SFPOA Defense Administrator, David Ng of Personnel, Sgt. Rachael Kilshaw and Risa Tom of the Office of the Police Commissioner, Retired S.F.P.D. Sergeant and long tenured SFPOA Journal editor Ray Shine, Retired S.F.P.D. Lieutenant and host of the Gold Country Reaper Website, Rene LaPrevotte, and finally to the S.F.P.D. Traffic Command and their Officers who graciously afford us space for our files and our monthly meetings.
Mark J. McDonough
WOAA Secretary