Interview from Philanthropy; For repairs St. Ignatius calls on Grampas

Owen Brennan, 65, a former Green Beret and Los Angeles Times pressman, says his wife "volunteered" him to paint over some graffiti near the downstairs water fountain at St. Ingatius School. Then Sister May Menegatti, the principal, mentioned that the yellow-and-green classrooms could use some brighter colors. Next the side of the school needed painting. And, finally, there were some plumbing problems.

That was the beginning of the Grandfathers' Club back in 1994 at the 77-year-old elementary school on the corner of Monte Vista and Avenue 61 in Highland Park. Since then, the half-dozen senior citizens have painted every classroom, laid down linoleum and put up ceiling fans and lights, repaired a retaining wall and catch basin, cut ivy, rehung broken doors, replaced boards on benches and fixed leaky pipes and faucets. They have, in short, saved the urban school thousands of dollars in painting, plumbing and other repair bills.

"The funny thing about it is there's really none of us in change, "Brennan points out with a Brooklyn accent, looking around the cramped principal's office at this cronies. "John worked in cabinet shops and Ricardo in construction. Luis was a helicopter mechanic for McDonnell Douglas for 30 years. Frank worked with structural steel. The other John owns apartments and knows plumbing. We've all been professional men in our areas. So whoever comes up with the solution to a school problem, we try it."

All of the men - Brennan, Ricardo Villarreal, 62, Luis Nava, 55, John Calderon, 68, John Perez, 74, and Frank Hernandez, 78 - have had children who either attended or grandchildren who are currently enrolled at St. Ignatius. They agree that's a major part of their motivation.

"I just came in to drop off some papers for my grandson to start school," recalls Nava. "Owen grabbed me and said, 'Are you a grampa here? The primary reason I do this is to stay close to my grandson. But it also gets you out of the house and kills the monotony.

Grinning, Calderon says, "I guess I do it because I don't know better." Then adds, "I just really enjoy doing it. I never went to Catholic school, but I had a real heavy religious background. And all my children went to Catholic school."

Perez says he did attend parochial school and was even an altar boy. "I was taught if you're doing something for the church, you're doing it for God," he says. "So every time I do something here, that's the way I feel."

Since 1970, Villarreal has lived across the street from St. Ignatius. He's helped rid the school of graffiti and helped the principal hire a part-time janitorial service. "When I come over here and see something wrong, I fix it," he says. "Plus, I'm the hardware store for Frank.

Frank Hernandez, who does a lot of repairing at St. Ignatius Church, also sent his children to Catholic school. He has been working around the parish for more than 30 years. "We're just all around helpers," he reports. "Whatever needs to be fixed, we're there.

Sister Menegatti describes the grandfathers as "wonderful" craftsman with high standards who take their time fixing things. But there's another reason she wants them at St. Ignatius.

"The students like the grandfathers around' the Dominican Sister of Mission of San Jose says. "They really look up to them. I know the junior high kids ask them their advice on things. So I think it's a nice marriage. It keeps the senior citizens young, and it gives the students new people in their lives.

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