THE FABULOUS BACKSTORY OF ALPINE RESIDENT JUNE KNAUFMAN

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Dec. 13, 2019 (Alpine) The textured, marbled backstory of Alpine resident, June Kaufman, includes social outings with Jacques Cousteau, answering musician Bob Dylan’s fan mail, and wearing Jaclyn Smith’s clothes, not from her clothing line but from her donated outfits, given to a thrift store, after she wore them while working on the tv show, Charlie’s Angels.

Kaufman, born in 1940 in Oakpark, Illinois, moved with her parents to Coronado at age 2.  The family moved and she  grew up in Pacific Beach and La Jolla and even attended La Jolla High School with actress Raquel Welch.  “She was in my class,” said Kaufman.  But Kaufman, maiden name Snyder back then, got antsy; she skipped out of high school to move to Hollywood.

“I lived in Momma D’s boarding house on Orchid Street behind Grauman’s Chinese Theatre,” she said.  Grauman’s is now named TCL Chinese Theatre. She landed a job with an insurance agency and also modeled. A painter was so entralled with her, he did a portrait (inserted) of her that she has kept all these years. 

Answering fan mail was just an offshoot of her clerical job at what is now referred to as Gelfand Newman Wasserman Insurance Agency. which handles entertainers, musicians and celebrities’ insurance needs, money management and other services.  Bob Dylan was just one of their many clients.

“They used to send fan mail to Bob Dylan, Hollywood, California,” said Kaufman, 79, and an Alpine resident for decades.  Similar to sending letters only addressed to “Santa, North Pole” Dylan’s fan mail was short, and to the point, just like Santa’s only Hollywood, California.

“They asked about his lyrics for book reports.  They asked for autographed pictures,” she said. Answering fan mail was just an offshoot of her clerical job at what is now referred to as Gelfand Newman Wasserman Insurance Agency that handles entertainers, musicians and celebrities’ insurance needs, money management and other services.  Bob Dylan was just one of their many clients.

She also delivered documents to many celebrities’ homes.

Now retired, Kaufman gets to enjoy the natural beauty of the Alpine region from her house on a hill.