NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE

Jonathan Irvine: October 16, 1955 - November 17, 1989

A Close Family Remembers Two Sons

Who among us can fully understand what it is like to lose not one, but two children to the awful disease of AIDS? Such is the case with Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Joe Irvine, a career army man, and his wife Margaret. They chose the National AIDS Memorial Grove to commemorate their two adult sons who died so young.

Two of the Irvine's five children were twins, Jonathan and Janice. (Yes, all the kids' names begin with the letter "J" - Joslyn, Janice, Jonathan, Jeryl, and Joel.) The twins were born on October 16, 1955 in Swinden, England, where father Joe was stationed at the time. Janice was born a little over an hour before her twin brother. They later attended Lowell High School in San Francisco.

Jonathan was the quiet one who ultimately pursued graduate work in agronomy. He was interested in track in high school. Other passions included dance, jewelry, antique furniture and plants.

"He was really into African violets," says his mother, Margaret, with a laugh. "He almost put us out [of our own house] with so many of them."

A published plant researcher at Calgene, Jonathan lived with his girlfriend in Davis, California. He was beginning to think about going into journalism when he got ill with HIV. His mother says that's when he turned to Buddhism. "He told me it helped him a lot."

Jonathan was 34 years old when he died in November of 1989.

Joel "Bear" Irvine: August 21, 1959 - November 11, 1991

Joel was the youngest Irvine, born on August 21, 1959 at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. He attended McAteer High School and like his older brother, pursued track. When he got interested in bowling, the whole close-knit family (except Mom) joined in. According to his mother, Joel was outgoing and "had a lot of interests," such as old fashioned printing presses. Animals fascinated him, especially bears. He collected bears. Soon, everyone was calling him "Bear."

Joel eventually became an instructor in stained glass for San Francisco's Park & Recreation department, and for the Josephine Randall Museum.

He was 32 years old when he died in November of 1991.

Keenly aware of the growing menace of AIDS in communities of people with color, the Irvine family remains committed to doing all it can to help. Joe says, "We started walking in AIDSWalk San Francisco in 1992, and someone from the family has walked ever year since. Janet & Jeryl have been there every year. Even our grandchildren are now walking."

"Jonathan loved the park so," says Margaret. "He surrounded himself with plants. I had read about the Grove, and inquired about it."

At 5:30 one Sunday morning in 1997, Margaret walked through the Grove in Golden Gate Park. Pink umbrellas had been placed throughout the Grove for a function sponsored by DIFFA, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. It was an arresting sight. That's when she began to think it was fitting to honor her two son's memories there. Joel and Jonathan's names were engraved in the Circle of Friends in the spring of 2000.

— Paul D. Hufstedler, Grove volunteer

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