Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D–Davis, welcomed Juanita “Nita” Redpath of Davis into the 8th Assembly District’s “Century Circle” on Friday. This was the third Century Circle recognition to take place in Davis since October.

Redpath was born in Springfield, Ill., on Dec. 30, 1911. During the summer of 1920, her parents moved to California with Juanita and her five siblings. Juanita recalls her family’s two-month journey to California in a Model T Ford, traveling hundreds of miles a day and camping in a tent every evening. She also remembers her father’s sense of adventure in wanting to drive to the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado and her mother’s wisdom in advising against this.

Her family settled in Los Angeles, where she met her first husband, Pasqual Cioffi, whom she married in 1928. They had three children: Jack, Carla and the late Tony Cioffi. During a visit to Murrieta Hot Springs after her first marriage ended, she met her future husband, George Redpath, who was on leave from the Navy Depot in Fallbrook where he was stationed during World War II.

She married him in 1946 and together they had one son, George.

Juanita lived in Lakewood for more than 30 years until she and George moved to Davis in 1982 following his retirement from General Telephone Co. Juanita, a homemaker and excellent seamstress, still enjoys traveling and recently completed a 4,000-mile trek through Colorado, Texas and back to Palm Springs to visit her grandsons and son.

Today, she is the matriarch of a large family that includes her three surviving children, nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

In May 2010, Yamada, chairwoman of the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, launched the Century Circle program to recognize centenarians year-round in Yolo and Solano counties. The goal is to bring greater attention to the growing number of people 100 years of age and older, their families and those who care for them.

Since that time, Yamada has recognized more than 40 centenarians in the district.

To participate in the “Century Circle,” contact Yamada’s district office at (707) 455-8025 or [email protected] and provide the name, contact and birthday month for the centenarian celebrant.

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Juanita Redpath, seated, and her former daughter-in-law Nancy Redpath share a laugh with Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D–Davis, during her 100th birthday party at Steve’s Original Pizza. Yamada was there to present Redpath with a certificate for her Century Circle, honoring centenarians in her district. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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