MEET THE ROPFOGELS

JULY 2019HillsCover photo by Rafael Najarian

GlendaleAn exclusive magazine serving the residents of Glendale Hills

8 Glendale Hills Living

Their El Miradero, 1940s, colonial home is perched high, requiring a brisk walk up the stone steps to reach the front door, which is on the side. In fact, many sets of generously spaced steps surround the house, on all four borders, in a kind of friendly labyrinth, or Penrose stairs, all leading you back home. A row of the steps on each side take you even higher, to an enchanting, double decker koi pond a mermaid would be proud of. There, a school of large koi, in shades of slate grey, clementine orange and icy white, can be seen enjoying a swim in about eight feet of lively water. There must me 40 of them, their beady eyes darting up from time to time in case it’s food o’clock.

Inside, it’s inviting, with large windows beckoning the warmth of the sun, unique furnishings, sentimental décor, and two spry, uniquely colored cats meowing almost inaudibly for attention. The Siamese mixes, Squeak and Nacho Libre, once poor, abandoned kittens, now live in the lap of luxury and have their very own ‘catio.’ It’s a sort of cross between a patio and a cat den, complete with all the multi-level cat trees a happy, scratchy cat can dream of, and a view for days to boot.

Stephen Ropfogel and Pamela Good Ropfogel were matched on e-Harmony in September 2005, met in person in November 2005, were engaged in June 2006 and married July 11, 2007. It was the first marriage for both of them, and from the looks of things, they complete each other, perhaps in a way that young love could not possibly understand. “We’ve

never really been in a fight.” Stephen confesses, “We’ve had debates, but that’s about it.” She smiles at him, and it’s palpable how much she loves him as her eyes tear up in the most beautiful way. “I’ve just never felt so taken care of by anyone, ever, he brings me tea in bed every morning, he packs my lunch everyday.” She pauses, and looks his way, and they are both smiling, like teenagers really.

“Our wedding was a great experience. We got married in Scotland, and everyone involved in the wedding stayed in a large country house across from a loch.” They both say ‘loch’ again, attempting to get that perfect, Scottish pronunciation as Stephen reaches for their wedding album on the mantle. Pam thumbs through the photos, to show the one of him wearing the kilt. “It wasn’t a requirement,” he adds, and from the looks of those photos, the right choice was made.

“It was a very ecumenical wedding,” she explains, “our guests were Christian, Jewish, Church of England, Church of Scotland, Buddhist, Self-Realization Fellowship and Muslim.” The lovebirds were married by a Humanist officiant (a person who performs non-religious services) who bore a striking resemblance to The Weakest Link game show host. “We were both expecting her to say, ‘you are the weakest link -- good-bye!’”

Stephen is a native Californian, born and raised in Culver City. Pam

By Amy Asaturyan | Photos by Rafael Najarian, Pasadena-Photography.com

We would like to thank Gerri Cragnotti and Chris Cragnotti of G&C Properties for sponsoring the family feature story.

LITERARY MAGIC

July 2019 9

This is not intended as a solicitation if you are currently working with a broker.

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818.244.5400GerriGCRE@aol.comwww.GerriCragnotti.com

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CHRIS CRAGNOTTIBroker Associate

818.244.5499Chris.Cragnotti@gmail.comwww.ChrisCragnotti.com

DRE: 01401809

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moved here after the Northridge quake from Flushing, Queens, New York, “but I don’t have an accent like Fran Fine from the TV show The Nanny!” she muses. She’s funny, stand-up comedian kind of funny, in fact she’s got an act, and made her performing debut at the Ice House in Pasadena this year. She draws material from her life, most of which revolves around her 28 year career in academia.

Pam has a B.A. in Theatre, an M.S. in English Education, an Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from USC, and an ad-ministrative credential from the University of LaVerne. she is a board member of the Glendale Library Foundation and was on the board of Glendale Healthy Kids. She’s an English teacher, and currently works at Arleta High School for LAUSD.

“I just love teaching,” she announces with an air of pride and love in her voice. In short, she’s a powerhouse of literary wisdom and an utter delight.

Stephen graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in busi-ness administration and a marketing major. He also has a Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) certification, which is awarded to the top one percent of promotional products professionals. He worked in the hotel industry as a purchasing director for twenty years, before transitioning to the promotional products industry. Currently employed by Halo Branded Solutions, he specializes in customized trade show items, corporate gifts and more.

But of course, that’s not all. Stephen is a magician member of The Magic Castle and has been studying and performing magic since

10 Glendale Hills Living

his college days. His specialty is close-up magic. “Don’t believe everything you see,” he offers as a life lesson that he’s learned through the avid practice of magic. “The mind believes what the eye sees,” he further explains, which can result in a limited view of the world.

Stephen is also very involved in the community. He’s past pres-ident of the Glendale Sunrise Rotary Club, where he has been a member for more than twenty-five years. He is also a member of the Glendale Kiwanis Club and the Elks Lodge. He’s served on the boards of the Glendale Education Foundation, The Campbell Center, the Glendale Firefighters’ Association, Glen-dale Safe Place, Glendale Youth Alliance, Glendale Salvation Army, San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce.

The pair enjoys playing poker, especially in tournaments, and also host casual poker nights at home. Their favorite was the tournament for the Firefighters’ Foundation, where Pam won third place and Stephen won second. They are particularly par-tial to travel dates and hit the road as often as possible. “We love to travel, and since we met, we have vacationed in Australia, England, Scotland, New York, Napa, and Key West. We have cruised in Mexico, the Caribbean, and from Rome to Venice, with stops in Greece, Turkey, and Malta along the way.” In Glendale, they love to frequent The Alex Theatre and are eter-nally on the hunt for the perfect Italian food. Their life is magic, quite literally.

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