James Michael Conner

Jim’s mother Mildred Wagner was born on Ellis Island, N.Y. after her parents emigrated from Russia. She was part of the large community of Volga River Germans to settle in Fresno, CA. His father Jasper Truen Conner was born in Ruby, WA and was a banker with the Bank of Italy (later Bank of America) in Fresno. Jim was born on Nov. 16, 1941 and went to K through 12 there, 2 years at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Ornamental Horticulture, and a year at Fresno State. He received his BS degree from Cal State Los Angeles in Business Administration.

His father was a banker but also an amateur horticulturalist and rock hound. He was accidentally killed when Jim was very young. Jim picked up his two favorite hobbies of rock collecting and horticulture from his dad.

During summer and winter vacations from Cal Poly he started working for Monrovia Nursery Co. in Azusa. He met Frances Adrienne Vaccaro (Andi) from Arcadia, CA at a Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity party at Cal Poly while she was attending U.C. Santa Barbara. They were married in July, 1964 in Arcadia. Her Dad teased that he was a “grafted” Italian since they shared the same skills of grafting plants and he became part of Andi’s large Italian family.

He joined Hines Wholesale Nursery in Irvine and at the age of twenty-three became Sales Manager. He was able to travel to all of the major trade shows and visit most major nursery producers in the U.S. Tonya Michele was born while living in Tustin in 1967 and Steven James while in Orange in 1969. Jim had always dreamed of having his own nursery. So, in 1978 he and Andi started Alta Nursery, Inc. in San Jacinto, Calif. Andi quit teaching Elementary School and learned bookkeeping and office management. They shared the same office for 42 years.

The children wanted animals when they moved to San Jacinto so they joined the Winchester Harvesters 4H Club. They decided they wanted goats. Jim never even had a pet in his life but he volunteered to be goat leader with the enthusiasm and skill that he applied on all projects. They traveled to fairs all over Southern California showing their animals. Both children, Tonya and Steven, graduated from San Jacinto High.

Jim held many Civic offices, including serving on the San Jacinto School Board of Trustees for 5 years, being elected to the San Jacinto City Council for 9 years, and serving 2 terms as Mayor of San Jacinto, during which one of his pet projects was seeing that the Main Street Bridge come to fruition. He volunteered with the San Jacinto Rotary Club since 1984 and was President twice. He was a devoted member of the International Plant Propagators Society, was President of the Western Region in 2010, and as an International Delegate he and Andi were able to travel to many countries around the world including Japan, Africa, Australia, and Europe. They also traveled to China, New Zealand, Mexico and Hawaii. He loved spending time at their second home in Oceanside where he enjoyed reading, taking walks on the beach, and experiencing many of the great restaurants at the beach. Andi and Jim celebrated their 56th Anniversary on July 25, 2020.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jasper and Mildred Conner, brother Donald, and sister Jacqueline Hayes. He is survived by wife Andi, daughter Tonya Michele (Heiko) Schoenfuss of Minnesota, Steven James (Andrea) Conner of Mission Viejo, grandchildren, the lights of his life, Henry and Kirby Conner, a niece Dionne (Tony) Murch and nephews Donald Conner, Scott and Jeffrey Hayes and many beloved cousins.

Services will be private. As an expression of love and sympathy memorial contributions can be made to Rotary of San Jacinto, P.O. Box 1691, San Jacinto, Ca 92581. Memories and condolences may be left for the family at www.miller-jones.com.