“When you know, you know,” says Jeff MacLean describing how he met Alex. He was in the last eight weeks of his five-year long orthopedic residency at UCSF when Alex ended up as his surgical technician. A romance bloomed quickly. Jeff was on his way to Nashville for one more year of training, and Alex decided to take a leap and move there with him. They were engaged eight months later in March of 2016 during a trip back to Walnut Creek, where, with the help of Alex’s grandparents holding up a sign, Jeff proposed in the gazebo at Civic Park. They married in October of that same year in Calistoga.
Jeff grew up in New Hampshire, attended college in Vermont, and spent time in Switzerland before he landed in San Francisco. Alex was born in the Bay Area but grew up mostly in Texas. She spent 5th and 6th grade in Clayton, not far from her grandparents’ home in Northgate. Her parents were high school sweethearts, graduating from Northgate High School in 1979. Alex attended Sacramento State and did her surgical nurse training in Washington. She became a travelling nurse and spent time in many states. After Nashville, they knew they would return to the Bay Area someday where Alex’s grandparents had lived for 85 years and ultimately be closer to family.
Jeff took a job at Kaiser in San Jose where their two sons were born. When the 3rd child arrived in 2020, during the pandemic, they finally made the move to Walnut Creek, wanting to raise their family surrounded by the love of four generations. One more baby arrived, and Alex’s parents had now also returned to Walnut Creek to help out her grandmother. The three grandparents could not be happier to help out and watch their four grandchildren grow. It has become a tradition to spend Tuesday and Sunday dinners all together. Alex shares, “We all go around the table and share the best part of our day. We love the kids growing up around family and the constant support of grandma, grandpa, and great grandma, who is now 97!”
Fitz is 8 and in 3rd grade. He loves baseball and music. He plays the electric guitar and piano. He was inspired by his mom’s book club to start one of his own. He and a group of friends are reading and discussing the series “The Lemonade Wars.” During a family Disney Cruise, Fitz made a friend that he is still a pen pal with, writing letters back and forth for a year now.
Duke is 7 and in 1st grade. He loves baseball and soccer. Like his brother, he is also a musician, focusing on drums and piano. The two brothers have started a rock band called Hugs & Roses. They have played for Bancroft Elementary’s Talent Show for 2 years now.
Through their music school, they have played in a 2nd band called Pick 6 with other students at the Village Music School. They performed at The Chicken Pot Pie Shop in downtown Walnut Creek to a crowd of 150 people. They’ll be performing again at the Rancho San Miguel Porch Fest on Sept. 19.
Stella, a kindergartener, loves girl scouts, dance, and baseball. She dances at Dance Connection and plays coach-pitch baseball with Walnut Creek Little League. Stella and her two older brothers attend Bancroft’s dual-immersion Spanish program.
Little sister Molly is 3 and attends a Spanish-only preschool. “She’s our little spit-fire child, very independent,” adds Jeff. “She gives hugs all day and might be the youngest T-ball player in Walnut Creek Little League.”
Two dogs round out this busy family, both named after favorite musicians. Elvis is a Standard Poodle and Dolly is a miniature Dachshund.
Jeff now works in Stockton. He and a friend started a training program for orthopedic residents. He also practices at the Stockton area emergency rooms as a trauma surgeon. His passion, however, is his kids. He coaches both daughters’ baseball teams. And he and Alex recently joined a co-ed softball team so mom and dad could have their own baseball fun. Managing 5 baseball games per week plus all the other activities is Alex’s job. “She’s the master coordinator,” adds Jeff.
“We definitely utilize our friend network too.”
The MacLeans love hosting an annual Christmas party and taking the kids to new places. Last year they travelled to Honduras, San Diego, Oregon and Disney World; this summer it will be Chicago. Alex adds, “We want the kids to be exposed to as much as possible and give them all the opportunities to succeed in life.”
The MacLeans feel they hit a home run moving to Walnut Creek. Alex says, “We love our community, access to the open space, being close to family, and the friend network we’ve gained at Bancroft.” Jeff adds, “it definitely takes a village.”
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991; Photos provided by the MacLean family