Family Showcase
A DEDICATED COUPLE SERVES THE PASS:
JOHN AND YVONNE BRANCHFLOWER
John and Yvonne know that it takes more than living in a community to make it "home": They invest their lives here, in community service and in business.
John W. Branchflower grew up in Hawthorne and Inglewood, California. He learned the concept of community service from his mother who held leadership and support positions in the PTA, the community coordinating council and the musical arts society, among others.
John graduated from the University of Redlands in 1968 with a Bachelors Degree. His early studies of math evolved into a music composition major. As a professional musician, John taught percussion, and played in the Inglewood Philharmonic, the Riverside Symphony and the Redlands Bowl Orchestra.
John and Yvonne married in Redlands in 1967 and moved to Cherry Valley in 1969 when he was hired as a social worker for Riverside County DPSS.
In the mid-1970's, he returned to college to study accounting. After working out of the area for two years for other firms, John began his CPA practice in Beaumont in late 1981. In 1983 he completed his MBA at Cal State College San Bernardino. Semi-retired in 2004, John now has time for other interests.
Community service has taken many forms. He was one of the first volunteers, and later the president of the local crisis center that worked out of a small travel trailer located in the parking lot behind San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital. John and other volunteers staffed a telephone hot line available for depressed or suicidal people who just needed someone neutral with whom to talk.
The Rotary Club of Beaumont, with its many service projects, attracted John early on. Over the 34 years of his membership, he held almost every position in this organization, including president, and served on committees from the Thanksgiving Dinner for seniors to the Cherry Festival Parade. In 1995, John was appointed Rotary District 5330 treasurer. At present (2006), he serves as chief financial officer of the Rotary Club of Beaumont Foundation.
Yvonne, a painter of the local landscape, earned her BA from Cal Sate University San Bernardino. She is represented by two galleries, taught oil painting in her studio for several years, and served two terms on the Beaumont Library District Board of Trustees. She designed their yard like a botanical garden: Drought resistant and attractive to birds. Birdwatching is an interest she and John share, and they extend their support to several wildlife and nature organizations.
John follows his mother's lead in philanthropic giving and service on the scholarship committee for Mt. San Jacinto College Foundation. This is a most rewarding experience.
No less rewarding is being part of the establishment of the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Foundation Endowment Committee, where he has served as Chairman for the past four years. When asked why SGMHF would be a good place for an endowment gift, Mr. Branchflower said:
"It is impossible for a public hospital to survive and thrive by patient care revenue alone. As the focal point for medical care in the San Gorgonio Pass it is imperative that the hospital, through the Foundation, develop as many ways as possible to supplement patient revenue with voluntary donations for current operations as well as an endowment for the long term financial health of the Hospital District."
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital is proud to list John W. Branchflower and his wife Yvonne in the Hall of Fame for their service to the people of the San Gorgonio Pass.
photo ©Lasting impressions - 1990
 |
