San Elijo Says Goodbye to Campground Mom and Pop

California State Parks officials, lifeguards, volunteers, friends and adopted family gathered at San Elijo State Beach Thursday afternoon to celebrate two of the system's most committed volunteers, Frank and June Nuttall, on a sunny day that seemed as though even Mother Nature was in on the party.

The Nuttalls retired their current volunteer positions as camp hosts to return to their family in Klowna, Canada.

“Our 11-year-old granddaughter wrote us a letter. She said, ‘Nanny and Grandad, they’ve had you for 23 years. Now I play hockey—I’m the captain of the team—and I want you to be here. And by the way, Grandad, you don’t have much time left,’ ” said June with a hearty laugh. “When she said that, well …”

The Nuttalls are possibly the most sweetly loving couple anyone could have the pleasure of meeting. Although they can’t agree on how long they’ve been married— she said 62 years but he said 63—they said they’ve never spent more than two days apart. “We are still very much in love,” said Frank, 84, putting his arm around June, 79.

Fortunately for San Elijo, the Nuttalls’ love also extends to California State Parks.

In recognition of their work, the Nuttalls received a special award from the head of all California State Parks in San Diego as well as a proclamation from San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price's office.

Bill Mahoney, founding board member of the Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches, estimated that the Nuttalls contributed around 10,000 volunteer hours.

In the spirit of joviality, Mahoney took out his checkbook and said he’d like to write the Nuttalls a check for the fair market value of their services. In pondering what else to write on the check to describe what it was covering, Mahoney asked the crowd to agree that the Nuttalls were “very obviously incredibly devoted,” which Mahoney jokingly abbreviated on the check as “VOID.”

Though the check for $150,000 was a joke, the sincerity behind the warm gratitude for all the Nuttalls have done for San Elijo was genuine.

“We all considered them friends,” said Ken Burton, the former supervising ranger who hired the Nuttalls.

Burton hired the couple 23 years ago after a fellow ranger referred them to him. “I didn’t want to do it,” he said. “But that was the best thing I ever did. I’m the one who said they are San Elijo. They’ll always be San Elijo.”

Burton described the Nuttalls as perpetually smiling volunteers. “The only bad part [was] when they left to go back to Canada,” he said.

The Nuttalls served a multipurpose function as camp hosts who facilitated the needs of campers. In return for their service, the park provided necessaries, such as electrical service, water and sewage. Because they lived on park grounds, the Nuttalls became the people to whom campers would turn for advice.

"If you asked them to do one thing, you never had to ask them to do it again,” said Burton. “They were here for the park. There was never one day where they were like, ‘It’s about us.’ [Their leaving] will be a huge dent in this program. They're family."

Olen Golden was a rookie park ranger when he first began working at San Elijo in 1985. Newly retired, he said the Nuttalls showed him the importance of volunteerism when they arrived in 1988.

“I began to see how involved people get in volunteering,” he said. “You understand how America is built on volunteering.”

Golden said he’s struck by how fast time has passed. “You never think when you meet someone you’ll spend two decades with them,” he said.

The Nuttalls were also valued for disseminating their vast knowledge with young visitors about the state park system, according to Golden. “They’re sending all of that positive information into a time capsule into the future,” he said. “It’s a good investment.”

Chris Platis, a former Torrey Pines State Park ranger, said the Nuttalls arrived the same month he married his wife, Doreen. Both Platis and Doreen were on hand to wish the Nuttalls their best on their journey back to Canada.

Platis said he remembers picking up VG Donuts—a Cardiff staple—for the Nuttalls on the way to Torrey Pines. “They had to be VGs,” Doreen said.  The Nuttalls farewell party cake was also donated by the popular donut shop.

The Platis family was one of many who camped with the Nuttalls as gracious hosts. Their children were also familiar with the couple. “We would just love to come and visit with them,” Doreen said.

"We've had lots of fun," said Frank, smiling.

"A lot of fun," June added.