Vista's Clare Alice Bacon was the voice of help
She was the calm voice you called when you needed help.
For decades, Clare Alice Bacon was a police dispatcher ---- the voice on the other end of 911 emergency calls ---- first with the Oceanside Police Department, and then the Carlsbad Police Department.
But she was also a sweet, loving mother and grandmother; a woman who loved God, who decorated her home with pictures of Hawaii and her grandchildren, who loved ceramics, painting and playing the piano, her son said Wednesday.
Robert Bacon said the thing he appreciated most about his mother was the fact that she tried to be the best person she could be, even while working in a profession ---- police work ---- where you have to interact with people who often aren't nice, and who have done bad things.
"She had a deep love for the Lord," Bacon said. "And she always tried to bring that out with the way she interacted with people. That wasn't always the easiest thing to do in her job. I would say that's the most important thing I ever learned from her."
Clare Bacon, who lived in Vista for the last 15 years, passed away Friday, just four days shy of her 77th birthday.
Robert Bacon said his mother was born in Chicago, but grew up in Redwood City, California, where she was a baton-twirling majorette at Sequoia High School who earned money baby-sitting and working as an usherette in a movie theater.
Clare Bacon married just after high school, and she and her husband gravitated to Oceanside, where they had Robert and his sister, Kathleen.
Robert Bacon said that by day, his mother worked ---- first as a clerk in the courts, and then as a police dispatcher. But, he said, his mother was always there, attending his basketball games and track meets, and Kathleen's athletic events.
Robert Bacon said his mother and father divorced in his senior year in high school, but remained friends the rest of their lives.
Clare Bacon never remarried, but loved her work as a police dispatcher. Robert Bacon said she didn't talk about her work ---- "that was a big taboo" ---- but said she was "fascinated" by police work. Clare Bacon actually retired twice, but kept coming back.
She retired once from the Oceanside Police Department, "but it drove her crazy." So she went back to work with the Carlsbad Police Department.
She retired again, but went back to volunteer.
In 2002 she was named the Carlsbad Police Department's "in-house" Volunteer of the Year.
When she wasn't working with the police, Robert Bacon said, Clare Bacon loved to spend time with her grandchildren.
"You'd know when she was talking to other people that she really cared for them, because that's what she would talk about."
She also loved to travel ---- mostly to Hawaii.
"For a long time, anytime she had time she would go to Hawaii, take off for little vacations," Robert Bacon said. "I think she just loved the serenity of it, and the beauty. She had pictures of it all over the house."
Robert Bacon's wife, Cindy, said she remembers her mother-in-law as very considerate, but still, a "take charge kind of person."
"When we would get together she would just get right in there and do the dishes and want to help in every way she could," Cindy Bacon said. "She was very, very sweet. A very supportive gal. Really wonderful."
Clare Alice Bacon, 76, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2005.
Born Sept. 20, 1928, in Chicago, she lived in Vista for 15 years. She retired after 15 years as a dispatcher and records clerk for the Carlsbad Police Department. She was a past president of the Oceanside Emblem Club and a member of the Oceanside Girls Athletic Club.
Mrs. Bacon is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Larson of Denair; son and daughter-in-law Robert and Cindy Bacon of Oceanside; brother Richard Buell of Shreveport, La.; grandchildren Cari, Robert and Eric; and one great-grandson.
She was the calm voice you called when you needed help.
For decades, Clare Alice Bacon was a police dispatcher ---- the voice on the other end of 911 emergency calls ---- first with the Oceanside Police Department, and then the Carlsbad Police Department.
But she was also a sweet, loving mother and grandmother; a woman who loved God, who decorated her home with pictures of Hawaii and her grandchildren, who loved ceramics, painting and playing the piano, her son said Wednesday.
Robert Bacon said the thing he appreciated most about his mother was the fact that she tried to be the best person she could be, even while working in a profession ---- police work ---- where you have to interact with people who often aren't nice, and who have done bad things.
"She had a deep love for the Lord," Bacon said. "And she always tried to bring that out with the way she interacted with people. That wasn't always the easiest thing to do in her job. I would say that's the most important thing I ever learned from her."
Clare Bacon, who lived in Vista for the last 15 years, passed away Friday, just four days shy of her 77th birthday.
Robert Bacon said his mother was born in Chicago, but grew up in Redwood City, California, where she was a baton-twirling majorette at Sequoia High School who earned money baby-sitting and working as an usherette in a movie theater.
Clare Bacon married just after high school, and she and her husband gravitated to Oceanside, where they had Robert and his sister, Kathleen.
Robert Bacon said that by day, his mother worked ---- first as a clerk in the courts, and then as a police dispatcher. But, he said, his mother was always there, attending his basketball games and track meets, and Kathleen's athletic events.
Robert Bacon said his mother and father divorced in his senior year in high school, but remained friends the rest of their lives.
Clare Bacon never remarried, but loved her work as a police dispatcher. Robert Bacon said she didn't talk about her work ---- "that was a big taboo" ---- but said she was "fascinated" by police work. Clare Bacon actually retired twice, but kept coming back.
She retired once from the Oceanside Police Department, "but it drove her crazy." So she went back to work with the Carlsbad Police Department.
She retired again, but went back to volunteer.
In 2002 she was named the Carlsbad Police Department's "in-house" Volunteer of the Year.
When she wasn't working with the police, Robert Bacon said, Clare Bacon loved to spend time with her grandchildren.
"You'd know when she was talking to other people that she really cared for them, because that's what she would talk about."
She also loved to travel ---- mostly to Hawaii.
"For a long time, anytime she had time she would go to Hawaii, take off for little vacations," Robert Bacon said. "I think she just loved the serenity of it, and the beauty. She had pictures of it all over the house."
Robert Bacon's wife, Cindy, said she remembers her mother-in-law as very considerate, but still, a "take charge kind of person."
"When we would get together she would just get right in there and do the dishes and want to help in every way she could," Cindy Bacon said. "She was very, very sweet. A very supportive gal. Really wonderful."
Clare Alice Bacon, 76, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2005.
Born Sept. 20, 1928, in Chicago, she lived in Vista for 15 years. She retired after 15 years as a dispatcher and records clerk for the Carlsbad Police Department. She was a past president of the Oceanside Emblem Club and a member of the Oceanside Girls Athletic Club.
Mrs. Bacon is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Larson of Denair; son and daughter-in-law Robert and Cindy Bacon of Oceanside; brother Richard Buell of Shreveport, La.; grandchildren Cari, Robert and Eric; and one great-grandson.
Vista's Clare Alice Bacon was the voice of help
She was the calm voice you called when you needed help.
For decades, Clare Alice Bacon was a police dispatcher ---- the voice on the other end of 911 emergency calls ---- first with the Oceanside Police Department, and then the Carlsbad Police Department.
But she was also a sweet, loving mother and grandmother; a woman who loved God, who decorated her home with pictures of Hawaii and her grandchildren, who loved ceramics, painting and playing the piano, her son said Wednesday.
Robert Bacon said the thing he appreciated most about his mother was the fact that she tried to be the best person she could be, even while working in a profession ---- police work ---- where you have to interact with people who often aren't nice, and who have done bad things.
"She had a deep love for the Lord," Bacon said. "And she always tried to bring that out with the way she interacted with people. That wasn't always the easiest thing to do in her job. I would say that's the most important thing I ever learned from her."
Clare Bacon, who lived in Vista for the last 15 years, passed away Friday, just four days shy of her 77th birthday.
Robert Bacon said his mother was born in Chicago, but grew up in Redwood City, California, where she was a baton-twirling majorette at Sequoia High School who earned money baby-sitting and working as an usherette in a movie theater.
Clare Bacon married just after high school, and she and her husband gravitated to Oceanside, where they had Robert and his sister, Kathleen.
Robert Bacon said that by day, his mother worked ---- first as a clerk in the courts, and then as a police dispatcher. But, he said, his mother was always there, attending his basketball games and track meets, and Kathleen's athletic events.
Robert Bacon said his mother and father divorced in his senior year in high school, but remained friends the rest of their lives.
Clare Bacon never remarried, but loved her work as a police dispatcher. Robert Bacon said she didn't talk about her work ---- "that was a big taboo" ---- but said she was "fascinated" by police work. Clare Bacon actually retired twice, but kept coming back.
She retired once from the Oceanside Police Department, "but it drove her crazy." So she went back to work with the Carlsbad Police Department.
She retired again, but went back to volunteer.
In 2002 she was named the Carlsbad Police Department's "in-house" Volunteer of the Year.
When she wasn't working with the police, Robert Bacon said, Clare Bacon loved to spend time with her grandchildren.
"You'd know when she was talking to other people that she really cared for them, because that's what she would talk about."
She also loved to travel ---- mostly to Hawaii.
"For a long time, anytime she had time she would go to Hawaii, take off for little vacations," Robert Bacon said. "I think she just loved the serenity of it, and the beauty. She had pictures of it all over the house."
Robert Bacon's wife, Cindy, said she remembers her mother-in-law as very considerate, but still, a "take charge kind of person."
"When we would get together she would just get right in there and do the dishes and want to help in every way she could," Cindy Bacon said. "She was very, very sweet. A very supportive gal. Really wonderful."
Clare Alice Bacon, 76, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2005.
Born Sept. 20, 1928, in Chicago, she lived in Vista for 15 years. She retired after 15 years as a dispatcher and records clerk for the Carlsbad Police Department. She was a past president of the Oceanside Emblem Club and a member of the Oceanside Girls Athletic Club.
Mrs. Bacon is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Larson of Denair; son and daughter-in-law Robert and Cindy Bacon of Oceanside; brother Richard Buell of Shreveport, La.; grandchildren Cari, Robert and Eric; and one great-grandson.
She was the calm voice you called when you needed help.
For decades, Clare Alice Bacon was a police dispatcher ---- the voice on the other end of 911 emergency calls ---- first with the Oceanside Police Department, and then the Carlsbad Police Department.
But she was also a sweet, loving mother and grandmother; a woman who loved God, who decorated her home with pictures of Hawaii and her grandchildren, who loved ceramics, painting and playing the piano, her son said Wednesday.
Robert Bacon said the thing he appreciated most about his mother was the fact that she tried to be the best person she could be, even while working in a profession ---- police work ---- where you have to interact with people who often aren't nice, and who have done bad things.
"She had a deep love for the Lord," Bacon said. "And she always tried to bring that out with the way she interacted with people. That wasn't always the easiest thing to do in her job. I would say that's the most important thing I ever learned from her."
Clare Bacon, who lived in Vista for the last 15 years, passed away Friday, just four days shy of her 77th birthday.
Robert Bacon said his mother was born in Chicago, but grew up in Redwood City, California, where she was a baton-twirling majorette at Sequoia High School who earned money baby-sitting and working as an usherette in a movie theater.
Clare Bacon married just after high school, and she and her husband gravitated to Oceanside, where they had Robert and his sister, Kathleen.
Robert Bacon said that by day, his mother worked ---- first as a clerk in the courts, and then as a police dispatcher. But, he said, his mother was always there, attending his basketball games and track meets, and Kathleen's athletic events.
Robert Bacon said his mother and father divorced in his senior year in high school, but remained friends the rest of their lives.
Clare Bacon never remarried, but loved her work as a police dispatcher. Robert Bacon said she didn't talk about her work ---- "that was a big taboo" ---- but said she was "fascinated" by police work. Clare Bacon actually retired twice, but kept coming back.
She retired once from the Oceanside Police Department, "but it drove her crazy." So she went back to work with the Carlsbad Police Department.
She retired again, but went back to volunteer.
In 2002 she was named the Carlsbad Police Department's "in-house" Volunteer of the Year.
When she wasn't working with the police, Robert Bacon said, Clare Bacon loved to spend time with her grandchildren.
"You'd know when she was talking to other people that she really cared for them, because that's what she would talk about."
She also loved to travel ---- mostly to Hawaii.
"For a long time, anytime she had time she would go to Hawaii, take off for little vacations," Robert Bacon said. "I think she just loved the serenity of it, and the beauty. She had pictures of it all over the house."
Robert Bacon's wife, Cindy, said she remembers her mother-in-law as very considerate, but still, a "take charge kind of person."
"When we would get together she would just get right in there and do the dishes and want to help in every way she could," Cindy Bacon said. "She was very, very sweet. A very supportive gal. Really wonderful."
Clare Alice Bacon, 76, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2005.
Born Sept. 20, 1928, in Chicago, she lived in Vista for 15 years. She retired after 15 years as a dispatcher and records clerk for the Carlsbad Police Department. She was a past president of the Oceanside Emblem Club and a member of the Oceanside Girls Athletic Club.
Mrs. Bacon is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Larson of Denair; son and daughter-in-law Robert and Cindy Bacon of Oceanside; brother Richard Buell of Shreveport, La.; grandchildren Cari, Robert and Eric; and one great-grandson.
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