Eldon Eugene Jesse

May 17, 1949 - May 15, 2020

Eldon Jesse, husband, father, big city detective, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2020 in San Francisco, California. Eldon was born on his family farm in Banks, Oregon in 1949. After attending Jesuit High School in Portland, Eldon studied economics at Santa Clara University, where he made many lifelong friends. He was drafted into the United States’ Army in 1971, seeing no action and, thankfully, with only one tattoo to show for it. In 1972, Eldon moved to San Francisco, where he realized that he was in no way cut out for an office job. He started up his detective agency soon thereafter. In 1986, he met the love of his life, Ann Marie. They married in 1990 and had three children Alana, Erika, and Brian. An active member of

St. Brendan’s Church, Eldon was a man of strong, unwavering faith. At 6’3”, he truly believed “blessed are the meek.” He loved animals, and would go out of his way to protect any and all living creatures from harm. He believed in turning the other cheek, in helping those less fortunate, and he avidly supported causes that sought to provide everyone with a fair shot at a good life. Eldon was a man of great integrity, humility, and thoughtfulness. He was extremely well-read, had a biting wit, and a captivating storyteller. He ran his detective agency out of his family home, giving him the opportunity to moonlight as a stay at home father. In his 50’s, he became patiently dedicated to coaching youth basketball. In his 60’s, he fell in love with rap music, and could often be heard washing the car to Kendrick Lamar. He spent much of his free time giving back to the community, either by volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul’s soup kitchen, at a women’s shelter, or by driving neighbors to the airport. He loved reading obituaries for their forced brevities. I hope he would have appreciated this one. Eldon is preceded in death by his mother Henrietta, father Archie, and brother Darrell. He is survived by his wife Ann Marie, his daughters Alana and Erika, his son Brian, his sister Myrna, and his cat Garibaldi. We are so lucky to have loved Eldon and to have felt his love.

The family will be having a private service. A celebration of Eldon’s life will be planned for a future date.