Page 2 November 5, 2020 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Obituaries
John Balk
John Balk passed away on
October 20, 2020 at the age of
37. John was a devoted father,
husband, son, brother, friend, and
surfer. These roles mattered the
most to John; his unwavering
dedication to each one made him
the special person he was. John
is survived by his wife Rikki,
son Koa (8), and daughter Ruby
(7); his parents, Andy and Christine Balk;
and his siblings Sarah Burks and Andy Balk
Jr. He is now at peace after a 5-year battle
with brain cancer.
John left us too soon, but the magnitude
of his impact on others reflects a century
worth of life. He inspired everyone around
him to take life as it comes, accept what
we cannot change, and make the best of
every day. At each stage of life, he exuded
a patience and wisdom far beyond his age
and possessed the gift of knowing how to
always be present in the moment. His ability
to remain present made everyone who knew
him feel special and valued. He showed up
when people needed him, and always with
a smile and positive attitude. His gratitude
for the simple things in life will
forever remind us of what really
matters.
John discovered his love of
the ocean as a child, but unlike
many others, he never grew out
of that pure excitement and joy
that children derive from just
being in the water. A true surfer,
John moved effortlessly on any
wave. The ocean is where he was the happiest,
where he made his life-long friends, and
where he created memories with his family
that will be cherished forever. John’s love
for the water will live on through Koa and
Ruby, who already show signs of sharing
that passion.
One of John’s final messages to his loved
ones was: “Come find me in the water.”
Naturally, his final resting place will be in
the ocean. John grew up in Playa Del Rey
and attended St. Anastasia, Mira Costa,
Marymount, and LMU. He was a real estate
agent, property manager and founder of
Auctiv. His family asks that anyone wishing
to honor his memory donate to the Jimmy
Miller Memorial Foundation.
Eva Marie Dell
Eva Marie Dell went to be
with the Lord on Friday October
16, 2020. Eva was born in
Mineral Wells, Texas, on April
6, 1958, grew up in McAllen,
Texas and made California her
final home. Eva is now cancer
free. Eva earned an MA MFCC
but ultimately she chose to stay
at home and raise her family.
Everyone who encountered
Eva was touched by her love and
compassion for others and her
ability to make you feel special.
Eva is survived by her
husband, Greg Dell; her parents,
Joseph and Lupe Weir;
her brother, Thomas Weir; and
her daughters, Elizabeth and
Michelle Dell.
Betty Jean (Garrett)
Zander passed
on October 6, 2020.
She was born in
Montgomery, Alabama
on September
Betty Jean Zander
15, 1928. She is
predeceased by her
husband of 66 years,
Joe Hugh Zander and
her son, Robert Allen Zander.
Betty and Joe lived in El Segundo since
1987. Betty enjoyed her many friends at
Jocelyn Center and Emerson Adult School in
Westchester, exercising and art.
Care Manager Lauren Mahakian
Truly Has the Touch of an Angel
By Duane Plank
Speak with some of certified dementia
practitioner and elder-care specialist Lauren
Mahakian’s clients, and view some of the
testimonials on her website, and a common
theme emerges. Her clients consider her to be
a godsend for her and her team’s compassionate,
effective, caring treatment of their aging
relatives as they fight the battles of dementia,
many of who have Alzheimer’s disease.
One of her clients calls Mahakian “an angel
from Heaven” for her stellar work to aid and
comfort elderly patients and provide their families
with support and peace-of-mind. Dementia
is defined as a general term for a decline in
mental ability severe enough to interfere with
daily life. Alzheimer’s, a specific disease, is
the most common cause of dementia.
Ron Kraft, whose wife has advanced Alzheimer’s,
and has resided in one of Mahakian’s
care facilities for the past two years, said,
“she is remarkable. She knows how to handle
dementia and Alzheimer’s better than anyone
that I have met, and that includes doctors.”
Kraft said Mahakian is sensitive to the needs
of each client, which he said, “are all different,
with different moods at different times.”
Kraft said his wife has had Alzheimer’s for
15 years” and has never been more satisfied
with her situation since Mahakian took over
her care. “(Mahakian) is just a loving person.”
Mary Shimko, who has retained Mahakian
to be her mother’s care-manager, said, “Lauren
has been instrumental in helping me get the
resources needed to help (her mother) out. She
has been wonderful,” citing Mahakian as “extremely
knowledgeable, and very available to
her clients and families.”
Mahakian decided to open her residential
care facility after visiting existing facilities and
judging them as “not right.” She noted that
some residential care facilities seemed to be
more about opulent appearance than serving the
needs of the elderly. She said when choosing a
residential care facility, clients should “not be
blinded by the chandeliers. ...those chandeliers
are not going to take care of your loved one.”
She vowed to start her own facility and
was successful in that venture in 2017, with
Family Connect Memory Care in Torrance.
At the time, Mahakian vowed to establish a
residential home for the aging “that no one
can come close to.”
Debbie Pifer trusted Mahakian to care manage
her elderly in-laws, as well as a special
needs brother-in-law. Pifer calls Mahakian “the
angel from Heaven, an incredible woman.”
Pifer said she was introduced to Mahakian
in 2015 when looking for caregiving options.
Pifer and husband Paul soon began working
with Mahakian. Said Debbie: “Lauren is kind,
compassionate, (with) extreme knowledge about
elder care and vitality. Lauren today remains a
close personal family friend, someone who came
into our lives when we needed her most. We
refer to her as our treasure beyond measure.”•
Myra Katsura, who has known Lauren since
2017, said she was looking to get in-home
assistance for her aging parents. She tried to
convince her independent parents that they could
benefit from in-home care, noting she had to
take the car keys away from her elderly father.
After her father had kidney failure, he was
Lauren Mahakian
She is survived
by her daughter and
son-in-law, Vickie
and Tim Myers, three
grandchildren, Kelli
Booterbaugh, Grant
Myers and Garrett
Zander. She leaves
nine great grandchildren,
Daniel and
Sloane Booterbaugh, Codi Myers, Avery Myers
Wittstruck, Bailey, Kyle and Riley Myers,
Charlotte and Lillie Zander. There will be a
celebration of her life after the Covid virus
is contained. •
CLASSIFIED ADS – ONLY $40
for twenty words or less.
Email class@heraldpublications.com or call 310-322-1830 for more information.
See Lauren Mahakian, page 9