By LILY TINOCO | Reporter
Palisadian Jim deVarennes died in a plane crash on Friday, September 11, in the Van Nuys area.
The 62-year-old pilot was flying a single-engine plane when the crash occurred at 3:04 p.m. in a parking lot in the 6900 block of North Hayvenhurst Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The second victim, who was identified later as Jill Young, grew up in the Palisades and lived in Brentwood at the time of her death, sources close to her shared.
The plane took off from Van Nuys Airport and was headed to Santa Ynez Airport in Santa Barbara County, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Gregor said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the incident and determine a probable cause, according to a statement.
DeVarennes was a longtime Palisadian, who grew up in the community with his family and two older sisters, Annie and Suzanne.
“The three of us were close, and he was a really good brother … he was a very protective brother,” Annie said to the Palisadian-Post.
He attended St. Matthew’s Parish, Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High schools.
DeVarennes played youth baseball at Palisades Recreation Center and earned All-Western League football second team honors as a senior wide receiver in 1975 when Palisades went 5-0 in league play under Coach Dick North and finished 9-2, falling to Banning 32-30 in the City 4A quarterfinals.
“Growing up, there was the Little League, and my brother was an Eagle Scout in Troop 223 … he was a star football player at Pali on the varsity team … we were all very involved in the community,” Annie said.
Annie said her brother learned that from their parents.
“My parents, Nancy and Dick deVarennes, were also very involved with the community, and my brother sort of followed suit,” she said. “My dad was a Little League coach … my mom was involved with St. Matthew’s, so he followed in their steps to be involved … and help with the community and do good.
“He had a generous heart, and he was a deep thinker.”
DeVarennes opened a cafe on Montana Avenue years ago, Annie explained, before getting into construction after working on a project for a neighbor and eventually starting his own business, Palisades Roofing and Construction. Annie joked that one could always find him on somebody’s roof in the Palisades.
DeVarennes has three children, who Annie said want to keep the business open.
“After he got into construction for a while and started his company, he learned to fly private planes and got his license when he was around 30 or so, and then eventually got his own plane,” Annie said. “He loved to fly, he loved being above the earth and feeling free … he had a passion for flying.”
Annie also said he had a passion for sports, travel, family and friends: “He had a zest for life and lived it fully.”
As the Post went to print, the Young family was not yet ready to reveal further details about Jill.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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