Larry and Sandy first met having coffee after a Sunday service at the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco. Larry’s dad introduced the couple. “We were married about a year after our first meeting, and the wedding took place close to the spot where we had met. As a single mother with a young daughter, I was especially happy to meet a handsome and intelligent young man, who was enjoyable to be with,” says Sandy.
Although they both hailed from different parts of the country, Larry and Sandy found that they had a lot in common. “I was born in Vermont, and Larry was born in Southern California. We both grew up right after World War II, we had similar, hardworking families and as a result, we felt compatible,” says Sandy.
After getting married and starting a family, the good schools attracted the family to Blackhawk. “This was in the 1980s when the community of Blackhawk was still being developed. There were many vacant lots where houses were being built. We loved the choices among the new homes that were wonderful to explore. We ended up building our own custom house near the newly opened Blackhawk Country Club. Our daughter began school in the San Ramon Valley District, and she eventually graduated from Monte Vista High School. A month after moving into Blackhawk, our son, Scott, was born and spent the first 19 years of his life growing up in Blackhawk. He graduated from Monte Vista High School as well, where he played varsity tennis for four years. He also taught tennis classes at the Blackhawk Country Club during summer vacations,” says Sandy.
After commuting from Blackhawk to San Francisco every day for 20 years, Larry began to express an interest in moving closer to his office. So, the family left Blackhawk and moved to Oakland and Orinda. “Now that Larry is about to retire, we’re back in Blackhawk living in Saddleback, right next to the house we had wanted many years ago. The bonus is, my daughter, Melinda White, her husband, Tom Meigs, and their two children, Cassidy and Wyatt, live in Shadow Creek, so we are delighted to take an active role in our grandchildren’s lives,” says Sandy. Cassidy is a student at Diablo Vista Middle School and was recently named Student of the Month for Social Responsibility.. and plays tennis at the Blackhawk Country Club. Wyatt is in preschool at Tassajara Learning Center. “Ironically, our son, who is practicing law with Larry in San Francisco, is living in San Francisco. He and his wife have a two-year-old son. So we both still commute to San Francisco to spend time with our second grandson, Emmett,” Larry adds.
Larry graduated from UCLA, and lived in Turkey for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer before graduating from Hastings Law School. He worked for more than thirty years at Hansen Bridgett Law Firm in San Francisco, heading the Health Care Section. He was also President of the California Society of Healthcare Attorneys, and began Attorneys for Animal Rights, an organization that still exists. Sandy and Larry have rescued several dogs during their marriage, including their current dog Morgan, a cross between a Havanese and a Poodle.
Sandy graduated from the University of Vermont and worked for This Week Magazine in Manhattan before teaching high school English in Connecticut and becoming the Assistant Registrar of the University of Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco. She also volunteered as an art docent at the Oakland Museum of California, where she was President of the Docent Council and served as Chair of the Art Guild Travel Committee.
Born and raised in Vermont, Sandy says she always made sure her family appreciated the great outdoors. “As a native Vermonter, I have ensured my family and my extended family know the beauty of the Green Mountain State. As a result, we have a Fractional Ownership at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe (where Maria Von Trapp settled her family), near my birthplace, and have spent many family vacations there. Another favorite family rendezvous is an annual weekend trip to Carmel. We also enjoy our house in Truckee, a great place to hike, mountain bike, ski, relax and rest.”
After calling Blackhawk home for nearly 30 years, the Kessenick family say they can’t imagine living anywhere else, “Of course, one of the great advantages of living in Blackhawk is that we love returning home. Our neighborhood is not only beautiful, but quiet and friendly, our neighbors are kind and considerate, and we think living in Blackhawk is the BEST.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images courtesy of Kessenick Family