The sad news was revealed on Sunday that Alejandro Pabloff Bucaroff, a well-known prominent resident of Punta Banda, had gone away at the age of 100, having celebrated his hundred laps in the sun on January 15.

Pabloff Bucaroff was born on January 15, 1922, in the magnificent port of Ensenada, to Russian Molokan members of the Russian Colony in Guadalupe, Don Rodolfo Pabloff and Doa Anita Bucaroff. Don Alejandro resided in Ensenada's Colonia Obrera and subsequently in Maneadero, as well as Punta Banda, where he founded the tourism firm La Jolla in 1954, which is still operating today.

Since his arrival in the area, Don Alejandro has done tremendous social work for the people of Maneadero and Punta Banda, as well as the entire municipality of Ensenada, for which he was named Distinguished Citizen in 2019 for his work, dedication, and numerous actions in support of the municipality during the 137th anniversary of the beautiful port.

Among his responsibilities, he was in charge of the construction of the Maneadero-La Bufadora highway, he assisted in the management and construction of the La Jolla Fire Station, and he donated a 600 square meter plot of land to Telnor for the introduction of the service phone to the Punta Banda region, among other things.

Pabloff was a man who was adored by his family, friends, acquaintances, and the Ensenada community, who will remember him fondly for his outstanding contributions to the community.

The Saint of Punta Banda

La Jolla Beach Camp (LJBC), located south of Ensenada on the Punta Banda peninsula, is one of northern Baja California's oldest vacation and retirement communities. Campo La Jolla, known for its laid-back weekend beach camping, attracts thousands of weekend and summer visitors each year, as well as a resident population of mostly expats with vacation or vacation homes. retirement. La Jolla Beach Camp, located halfway between La Bufadora (the world's largest blowhole at the end of the Punta Banda peninsula) and La Bufadora, offers ten miles of pristine beach in front and a wild mountain behind, creating a natural and peaceful environment throughout. San Diego is about two hours away.

If you ask any local resident about a safe community to visit for a weekend break, they will tell you about Unicamp, which is recognized for treating its visitors and inhabitants like family. La Jolla Beach Camp is managed by the Pabloff family, who have the highest reputation in Mexico. Don Alexandro Pabloff Bucaroff, dubbed "The Saint of Punta Banda" by some, was the visionary who promoted tourism in this peninsula and started it all more than 50 years ago.

For someone to be labeled a saint, they must have a pretty solid life narrative of good actions, therefore Of Baja Yes magazine was interested in interviewing the man who has had such a beneficial impact on the whole Punta Banda area, and who was quickly liked and revered by everybody. The highlights of the interview with this incredible individual, known simply as 'Mr. Pabloff,' are included here.

In 1905, Pabloff's father, a Ukrainian, served in the Russian navy. When combat between Japan and Russia became extremely intense, the ship's commander decided to abandon the war effort and sailed the ship and all of its crew to San Francisco. Alejandro's father, whose surname was Banda before he changed it to Pabloff to avoid being discovered by Russian authorities, fled to Los Angeles.

Pabloff's mother arrived in Boston from Armenia with the intention of settling there. When her ship landed in Boston, someone on board had a contagious ailment, and no one was permitted to walk ashore, as was the protocol at the time. The ship eventually made its way south through the Panama Canal and back to Los Angeles, where she was allowed to land almost three months later and not where she had planned.

Pabloff's parents met and married in Los Angeles, so it must have been destiny. Alex's father was a farmer who relocated from Los Angeles to Baja California, Mexico, in 1909, settling in Ojos Negros west of Ensenada.

Alexandro Pabloff was born into a family of seven brothers and three sisters, and he grew up farming alongside his siblings. While several of them finally moved to Los Angeles, he remained in Ensenada. For more than 12 years, he worked for a variety of hotels in the area, doing plumbing and electrical work, driving a truck, and crossing into the United States to get supplies for the Hotel Colón, Plaza Américas, Villa Marina, and others. Alex met the father of his future wife, who also worked at the Sano Hussong ranch near San Carlos, while cutting alfalfa. Alex married his wife Irene in 1949 after making introductions. They had been married for 60 years when she died 11 years ago.

Alex purchased the oceanfront parcel that would become La Jolla Beach Camp in 1954, as someone who valued what might be done with a piece of land. He also purchased a property at Punta Banda, Ramajal, and 90 hectares in El Tigre, above Ensenada, which he eventually sold.

Alex's plan was to offer a tourist camp in Punta Banda, and he put up his first sign advertising La Jolla Beach Camp in June 1960, inspired by the groups that came to Punta Banda to hunt birds in the 1950s. In August, he received his first client, an American who wanted to park his trailer there. In 1960, the monthly rent was four dollars, or $48 per year. It's worth noting that this first client's family still owns a home in the La Jolla Beach campground.

Despite the fact that Pabloff's vision for tourism on the Punta Banda peninsula had been realized, there was still no road, no phone service, and no power on the peninsula. They began developing and maintaining more than twelve kilometers of roadway themselves, from Maneadero to La Bufadora, with the help of Ramón Arnaiz, the peninsula's principal landowner. By 1962, the path had become more formal and had opened up legitimate tourism all the way to La Bufadora for explorers who would not only discover the beauty of this unique location, but also locate La Jolla beach camp, complete with boat ramp and ready for business.

More trailers were parked over time, a few houses were erected, and what was once a weekend tourist stop became a neighborhood. Alexandro traveled to Mexicali in 1970 to arrange the construction of a transformer substation at Maneadero to provide power to Punta Banda.

Another issue that was resolved at the time was the establishment of an immigration office in Maneadero. The immigration and travel permission procedure terrified guests at La Jolla Beach Camp in those days, and it was harming business at La Jolla Beach Camp and La Bufadora. Pabloff was successful in relocating the immigration office and checkpoint several kilometers south of Maneadero, removing a stumbling block to visitors entering the peninsula.

A fire at Campo La Jolla a few years later damaged two buildings and two cottages. Someone had to travel all the way to Ensenada to receive the fire department's reaction, and the fire truck had to drive all the way back to La Jolla, which took hours. In response, Pabloff established a volunteer fire department at La Jolla Beach Camp to safeguard the camp's inhabitants and visitors. Several Americans assisted with the donation of a 1947 Chicago fire engine, which was shipped to Los Angeles by train and then delivered to La Jolla Beach Camp, where it is still in use today.

Pabloff got a CB radio to communicate with the fire department back then, but he didn't have a radio license, which was difficult to come by in Mexico at the time. When this was revealed, his radio credentials were revoked by the local authorities. Later, when Ensenada experienced multiple fires, the Ensenada fire captain would travel to the La Jolla beach camp to request assistance and the use of Pabloff's fire vehicle. In exchange for his assistance with the city's fires, the governor granted Pabloff a radio license so that the two fire crews could communicate more effectively. Alex Pabloff Jr., one of Don Alejandro's six children, is the current commander of the firehouse. He has a team of local Mexican and American volunteers that help with a variety of crises, controlled burning, and major regional fires in the Ensenada area.

Years later, Pabloff gave the telephone company property in return for the construction of a transmitting station that would also give phone service to the entire area.

Michael, another of his sons and an architect and mason, is responsible for the construction of many of the homes in La Jolla. On two occasions, he was the mayor of Maneadero. Roy, Steve, Mathew, and Billie, the other sons, are involved in some manner with the operation of La Jolla Beach Camp and also manage their own companies, including backhoe/excavation service, water supply, Baja Race vehicle manufacture, and tree and vegetable production at Rancho Pabloff near Ramajal.

Over the years, La Jolla Beach Camp has grown in popularity with American tourists, Mexicans fleeing the summer heat from Tecate and Mexicali, and a big influx of people around the Easter and Fourth of July vacations. Hobie Cat racing has been held at Campo La Jolla for over 25 years, starting in 1973. Beachgoers, surf fisherman, and boating enthusiasts, among others, utilize La Jolla Beach Camp as a jumping-off point for overnight camping on gorgeous Todos Santos Island, while beachgoers, surf fishermen, and boating enthusiasts, among others, enjoy the beach at La Jolla every day.

Residents of the LJBC formed their own Punta Banda Yacht Club and erected a meeting space that is largely utilized by La Sociedad de Vecinos, a group of altruistic expatriates who make significant contributions to the Punta Banda community. On property provided by Pabloff, the foundation stone for a 125-seat theater was set in 1990. Sol Pearlman designed this structure, which is named after his wife. The Gertrude Pearlman Theatrical accommodates visiting theater companies from as far as New York on a regular basis, as well as producing several of its own productions each year. Campo La Jolla's retirement community can only be defined as "extremely active," with numerous parties, clubs, workout programs, public outreach and mission activities, and an adventurous lifestyle in general. A boat, dune buggy, or RV is parked in front of every other house. Locals here are among of the most experienced Baja visitors, having visited wine country, San Felipe, Guerrero Negro, the East Cape, and Cabo, among many other lesser-known Baja places.

On the La Jolla Beach Camp site, Pabloff gave space for a Mexican Pentecostal church and a nondenominational Christian church, in order to meet the spiritual needs of the locals. Pabloff's idea of a prosperous tourism enclave appears to have come true.

An amazing outpouring of aid and support for the local community occurs during the Christmas season at Campo La Jolla, an annual mission event also hosted by Alexandro Pabloff. He has been distributing food and clothes boxes to hundreds of impoverished indigenous families in isolated hill communities and the poorest in Punta Banda and Maneadero for more than 25 years. Many local La Jolla homeowners are currently helping to gather contributions and load boxes and baskets of much needed food and clothing. More than 600 boxes were provided this year. Many others rely on Alejandro's generous Christmas gifts to help them survive during this difficult time.

These days, Alex's personal interests revolve around the ancient art of "sprinkling." His eyes twinkle as he proudly displays his copper spray rod, and the topic quickly shifts to seeking fresh water to drill wells in the nearby mountains. Another popular topic is the 1750s pirate treasure rumored to be buried on Ensenada's north shore. During the battle between Spain and Mexico, he claims, more than a quarter of a ton of pirate treasure was buried in a hole to hide it. And he was rather clear about his location.

When one considers the influence of one man's life on others, Alexandro Pabloff's devotion, hard work, and service are genuinely impressive. This humble, soft-spoken, and usually smiling man stressed that he wants everyone of his La Jolla Beach Camp visitors to feel like family and to have a wonderful, peaceful place to stay. In this day and age, meeting someone who has worked so hard and given so much to others without a concern for himself is a rare pleasure. In fact, according to interviewer Bart Allen Berry, that's fairly holy.

Despite the fact that the government is supposed to pay now, Don Alexandro could be seen patrolling his property every day in his green truck with three of his favorite dogs following him, or supervising road work and excavation along La Bufadora highway, or spending a day's work in the camp, even in his 90s. Something to do is always available. His truck comes to a halt more frequently these days, as he drops everything to speak with an old acquaintance for twenty minutes or half an hour. It's astonishing that he does anything with so many buddies to chat to every day.

Rest in peace Alejandro Pabloff Bucaroff.

VIDEO: Lomas del Mar in Punta Banda, Baja California, Mexico.