Pocket Life
By Corky Mau
February 2025
‘Can’t Quit Now’
Almost 96, his lifestyle fits him to a T
At 95, Jack Din knows what he wants. “All I need is love and Jazzercise,” he says.
Din has both in abundance. He attended his first Jazzercise class in 1991 with daughter Andrea. She soon quit, but not Din. Now he does Jazzercise twice a week at Promenade Shopping Center with daughter Jana.
“I’m the only guy in class and I’m surrounded by lots of nice-looking women. Can’t quit now,” he says.
Classmates love him. Norine Mullen tells me Din owns hundreds of T-shirts with messages that include “Game Over,” “Jack for President” and “How the Heck did I Get this Old?”
Larkin Penrose has known Din for 30 years. “Hands down, he’s one of the most generous persons I know. During the season, he shares his bountiful tomato harvest.”
Mary Beam raves about his delicious almond cookies. “We all enjoy Jack’s humor,” she says.
One of eight children, Din grew up in Woodland on Dead Cat Alley. The family lived upstairs. On the ground floor, Din’s parents ran Tai Lee Laundry. As a child, Din delivered laundry to customers.
Though he lives at a Pocket senior residence, Din often returns to Woodland to walk and lead tours. He tells a story about the alley where he grew up.
“I’m not quite sure, but there was a persistent rat problem in the area,” he says. “Rats scavenged the alley trash cans put out by nearby cafes. Residents poisoned the rats, and cats that fed on the rodents also died.”
Din earned a business degree from UC Berkeley, enlisted in the Army and enrolled in officer candidate school. After discharge, he continued with the Army Reserves and retired as a colonel. Din’s professional career spanned three decades at CalPers retirement system.
Din attributes his longevity to physical activity and social interactions. When not at Jazzercise or walking, he keeps busy with family activities that include three daughters and four grandchildren.
“Jack is an inspiration to all of us,” says Jazzercise instructor Caroline Purtill. “His dedication to Jazzercise is a testament to the program. It shows that movement and community are vital to a long, healthy life.”
Din turns 96 in March with a short birthday wish list: more funny T-shirts.
CRAB FEED
Elks Lodge No. 6 hosts a cracked crab and seafood boil dinner Saturday, Feb 22. Social hour starts at 6 p.m. followed by the all-you-can-eat meal. Tickets are $75. Call the lodge at (916) 422-6666 before tickets sell out.
SHOLARSHIPS
The Pocket Greenhaven Community Association offers scholarships to help first-year students attend accredited colleges for the upcoming academic year. Applicants must be high school seniors at Pocket-Greenhaven schools.
Matching funds from City Council Member Rick Jennings and the Parker Development Company helped the scholarships grow to $3,000. Applications close March 15. For details, visit pocketgreenhaven.org.
Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
