Congratulations

The Sokol family’s fifth generation has been added to the family tree following the recent birth of Jazmine Ortiz.

Leonard and Eva Sokol moved into their Burbank home in December 1947, where Eva still lives. Eva was a wife, homemaker and mother to two daughters. She also worked for Bank of America, Burbank Main branch before retiring with 20 years of service.

Her oldest daughter, Patti Smith, is a graduate of Burbank High School. For the past 25 years, Smith has been employed by an HVAC mechanical contractor in Glendale. Her daughter, Tina Behrend, also attended Burbank High School. She is the mother of four children and works for a hospital in the Palm Springs area.

Her daughter, Bridgette Ortiz, attended Edison Elementary School until the family moved to Palm Springs. She is a stay-at-home mom. Her daughter, Jazmine Ortiz, was born in November. The family also established a tradition where the first girl of the new generation has the middle name Marie.

Former resident receives degree

Justin Howard, a former Burbank resident, received a bachelor’s degree in computer and information science as well as a math minor in December from George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.

Howard graduated from Excellence in Education, a home school academy, in 2006.

Howard plans to continue living in Portland while he pursues job offers. Howard’s parents, John and Ann Howard, live in Burbank, and both graduated from Burbank High School. Ann Howard works at the Burbank Community YMCA.