Yesterday afternoon, a call came in, while I was writing a memorial piece for my former colleague Ye. It was from Luisa, Alverda Orlando's twin daughter. My heart instinctively sank on hearing her voice. I was going to swing by Alverda's apartment to deliver some chocolate, on my way to Ann's home to return her shirt. As there were lots of errands to take care of before Nick arrived, I had to stay home.
Alverda Orlando passed peacefully away at 4:00 am, December 14, 2024 at Brookdale Nursing Home located at #100 Lockwood Lane. The cause of death is pneumonia complications. She was 94.
I knew Alverda when I started to work as an extra help librarian for Santa Clara County Libraries (SCCL) in May 1996. I was relocating from Berkeley to Santa Cruz. Since the opportunity for a full-time position was scarce then, I applied to both SCCL and San Jose State University for temporary and part time jobs. Alverda, retired from Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), was one of the four fellow trainees at Cupertino Library of SCCL. Upon the completion of two weeks' training, we could be qualified to start our service for elected branch libraries.
One day after the training in the parking lot of Cupertino, Paul asked Alverda if she could give me a ride to Santa Cruz the next day, for I had not driven solo over Highway 17. Alverda readily agreed. That was the beginning of our nearly three decades' friendship. In the ensuing months and years, we carpooled over the hill whenever we could until I started my employment with DIALOG Corp. in July 1997.
During those unstable but carefree years, our friendship flourished beyond carpooling. I learned tremendously from her, such as her professional reference skills in a public library setting, her research on Davenport and north coast areas, many colorful anecdotes in and outside SCPL, and her keen interest in library history. She was a rare specimen among public librarians, well-read and well-published. She researched, wrote and published well into her nineties, winning many prestige awards and grants, such as the Distinguished Historian of 2001 by History Forum of MAH, 2007 and 2017 Dolkas-Mertz Award, and the 2011 James Dolkas Memorial Fund.
Alverda was warm and generous to a fault. In 2000, she took in Nick to live with her for more than three weeks, when Paul and I visited my sick father in Shanghai, China. Since I started to work for SCPL, She, Nick, and I met regularly for our Friday dinner. After Nick left for college, she suggested that we add Donna and later Pam to our dinner table. Our Friday monthly dinners lasted until Covid-19. Over those dinners, we exchanged our ideas and achievements. With her wealth of experience and knowledge, we three learned and were benefited accordingly. Alverda has forever been our calming and solid rock anchoring our respective lives and challenges. She always has had advice for every occasion. "Anyway," she would start.
Together with Davenport, we will miss you, Alverda!
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