SPOTLIGHT ON A GLENITE

Residents, friends, neighbors, activists — perhaps the Glen’s greatest resource, some who have lived here over 40 years. By devoting their time and energy year after year to community service, they have demonstrated that they love the Glen. Achievers and celebrities, artists and writers, musicians and scientists, doctors and naturalists – they are the reason we enjoy such an extraordinary quality of life. Here we take the opportunity to say thank you for making a difference.

DOBIE & GREG HEIMER

TWO FRIENDS OF THE GLEN

For the past 43 years a rustic hideaway on Seabury Lane has been the home of two of Beverly Glen’s best friends, Dobbie & Greg Heimer. Dobbie was born in London, England and after the War, moved to the States around New York and then Connecticut. She attended Syracuse U. and worked in advertising. When she came to Los Angeles in the ‘60s with then-husband, Warren, Beverly Glen reminded them of Connecticut, so they stayed. Dobbie ran a school for the Urban League in South Central, while Warren toiled in films. She then met Greg, who was also in films, through Warren.

Greg was born in Hackensack, N.J. and attended the U. of Alabama Communications, Film & TV School. From there he hired on to a Florida, then a Pittsburgh TV station. But he dreamed of the movies, so he brought his then-wife and four boys (yes, four) to West L.A. and tried UCLA Film School for a year, but it was too chaotic at home. Soon Greg found work with KCET and then Encyclopedia Britannica Films making classroom films. After that, he free lanced in many areas, including industrial films, educational films, documentaries and narration.

Dobbie left Warren and married Greg , who convinced her to quit the Urban League grind and its tiring commute. It must have been good timing that Don Guttery, son of the founder of Odie’s Market (now the Glen Market), asked Dobbie if she was interested in learning the market business. She worked there as manager for five years. “It was the heart of the Glen in those days,” she remembers. “The parking lot was always overflowing with cars. Neighbors were close, and they did their weekly shopping at Odie’s. It was the neighborhood meeting spot long before the Community Center and Market at the north end were there.”

Since that time, both Dobie and Greg have been constantly active in the Glen community. She was a member of both boards, LRCC and Residents, and for years took on the annual voting booths, a big community service. Greg was on both the LRCC and Residents boards, on many committees, and he ran the Fair one year. He put on a series of popular programs at the Center, “Sunday Afternoons in the Glen” which were plays, readings, and music, all with Glen residents. He’s still proud of a program he tried but failed to achieve, a shuttle bus from Sherman Oaks to Century City. He worked with the Dept. of Transportation, the Metro bus companies and Glenridge developer J.H. Snyder, who originally promised such a shuttle, but it just didn’t happen; there were too many problems to overcome. Greg is still hoping that it can happen someday. We salute Dobbie and Greg Heimer for their tireless efforts for more than 40 years in a community that they love.

CHRIS HOLABIRD

Born into a Chicago family of three generations of architects, Chris headed in another direction — west to Los Angeles. He first came to the Glen in 1955 to join a Tuesday night recorder group at the Hartzell’s, and thanks to those kind and neighborly people, found a place to live. He taught at John Thomas Dye School and then moved on to Oakwood School for 21 years. He founded Los Encinos School in 1980 and served for 17 years as head and then retired. He has lived on Beverly Glen Place and shared a happy marriage of 46 years with wife Rhoda, together with the pleasure of two children, Julie and Kevin, and three granddaughters, Melinda, Olivia and Emma.

His Glen life: With Sara Santschi, Chris started the first Glen Fair in 1960 where he met Rhoda and they married the next year. He has played the bagpipes continuously at Fair opening parades. Chris served as president of the Glen Residents during the major storm drain installation when the boulevard was closed to through traffic and again when the Residents sued U.S. Plywood over the housing development at the top. The Glen won the lawsuit and with the proceeds, purchased the Community Center. Chris spent many boisterous evenings with the Democratic Club under Les River, took a turn on the board of the LDRCC, and has been occasional “Glenite” editor over the years. His kids attended Playgroup and they still see many of the friends made there.