Joe and Maria met when they were nine years old right here in the Northgate neighborhood. Although they were both attending Castle Rock Elementary School (where Eagle Peak Montessori is now) and lived only two blocks away from each other, they didn’t meet until a neighbor’s birthday party that they both attended in 1978. “It was love at first sight,” says Maria. They began riding their bikes to and from school together every day. “After school we played with the other kids in the neighborhood until dinner time,” adds Maria. And so, the love story begins.
Even though Maria went to Foothill Middle School and Northgate High School, and Joe went to Contra Costa Christian, their love continued to flourish. Maria went on to attend UC Santa Cruz, earning a degree in computer science, while Joe attended Diablo Valley College and worked at the Danville Hotel in Danville.
After college Maria worked in software engineering for a video game company, which took the couple to Marin County. They married when they were 29 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Walnut Creek and moved to Concord in order to be closer to their parents, who still lived in Northgate, and start a family of their own. “Living in Concord just didn’t feel like home to me,” says Maria. So they waited for the right time to get back to Northgate and the Walnut Green neighborhood they loved. That was 2003. Their parents had already left Northgate by then but still lived
in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their son, Jason, was born in 2000.
Jason, now 23, attended Valle Verde Elementary School, Foothill and Northgate. He spent his childhood pursuing his love of karate and GoKart racing. He eventually earned a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and many championships in racing and was awarded over 150 trophies. He graduated from CSU Sacramento and works as a design engineer for Evergreen Consulting. Jason continues his passion for racing as a driver coach for youth drivers as well as a mechanical tuner and expert advisor for adult drivers. He is saving money to buy his own home soon.
Both Maria and Joe are passionate about fitness and healthy eating. Maria spends her free time cooking, adapting recipes to be healthier, and attending Crunch Fitness Gym. She believes in the adage her mom taughther: you are what you eat. She makes everything from scratch including her own pickles and goes to the Shadelands Farmers’ Market every Saturday to buy fresh ingredients. Joe loves to be outside and on his bike. Maria adds, “Joe spends his free time riding treacherous mountain bike trails or cycling the city streets for long distances. He can’t sit still for very long. His favorite mountain bike trail is the Flume Trail in Lake Tahoe, and his favorite leisurely ride (as he calls it) is a 75-mile loop that follows the edge of Lake Tahoe.” Joe also raced for the 7-Eleven/
Motorola team and spent many years racing in Belgium and France.
A 14-year-old grey and white cat is also part of the Pettit family: Jason Jr. (aka JJ). He loves eating and sleeping all day and all night. His brother, Jack, recently passed away. Jack was an expert mouse and rat hunter, often depositing his catches on the back step or, occasionally, in the house! Sadly, he ingested a rat that had been poisoned and succumbed to the poison as well.
Maria volunteers her time as part of the Walnut Green Homeowners’ Association board, serving as Vice President. “I’m part of a great team of volunteers that sacrifice several hours per week to carry out fiduciary duties for the Walnut Green area. Because of this team, our association dues have never increased for over 15 years,” shares Maria.
She adds, “Thanks to all Northgate residents for making Northgate the best place to live. Because of all of you, our schools are top-rated, our streets are safe and clean, and our neighborhood is beautiful. The people are what make this a great place to live.”
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991 | Photos provided by Pettit family