“A thin gray mist of dry ice fog enveloped large, squat jack-o’-lanterns at one particular Waverley Street home in Palo Alto on Halloween night,” Victor Gonzales reports for The Mercury News.
“The sound of thunder rumbled from hidden speakers, eliciting a few gasps and eeps from children waiting in line to get candy at the home of Steve Jobs, where trick-or-treaters have been a welcome sight for years,” Gonzales reports. “‘It’s too scary!’ one child squealed at his mother.”
“About 50 children and their parents stood on the sidewalk in front of the home of the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, who died Oct. 5. They waited for the gate to open at 6:30 p.m. to the front yard of the Jobs’ family home. Many parents snapped photos of their children and the home,” Gonzales reports. “Children and teenagers were dressed as Vikings, Spiderman, priestesses and video game characters; a pair of boys were dressed as an iPad and as an iPod.”
Gonzales reports, “Palo Alto resident Bob Kocher brought his two daughters, ages 5 and 3, dressed as princesses. Kocher and his family, who just moved to the city in August, heard from neighbors about Jobs’ tradition of opening up their home on Halloween. ‘It’s a wonderful testament to Steve Jobs and his family. My daughters will be talking about this for the rest of the year,’ Kocher said.”
Full article with a gallery of photos of trick-or-treaters at the late Steve Jobs’ home here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Brawndo Drinker” and “Dow C.” for the heads up.]
Cute story.
How old are Steve’s children, anyone know?
What a nice Halloween decked out front yard. Kind of like what you’d find in my modest neighborhood comprised of your average Joe’s and working stiffs and not that of a man of Steve’s wealth. Glad Steve didn’t allow having money let it go to his head in the want of a gated ‘mansion’ and that he wanted to “fit” in like everyone else in his neighborhood. It’s one of the things I admire of him.
Wonder what’s to become of that house he finally got to tear down, Jackling house was it?
Yes, Woodside bit the dust this past 15 February. Now what?
His son is about 20; his daughters 16 and 13. Just about done trick-or-treating all three of them (plus the first one, Lisa, of course, who’s in her 30s).
It’s up to Laurene now, and with her kids almost grown up, who knows what she plans on doing with that property. It’s not like the home that was purportedly designed was very ostentatious or large. As I recall, it was rather modest in size. I’m more interested in what she plans to do with the boat they were having built. It was meant for an around-the-world trip. Funny how Steve had the same dreams we all had. I’m almost finished building my house on the lake. Someday, I’ll build the boat for that around-the-world trip. I may need Apple stock to double in price, though.
Ken-
The Apple stock will double in price sooner than it would take for you to pick out the right boat to buy. (Which, if my experience is any guide, takes at least a year….)
It’s funny how these stories actually affect me. I mean I met Jobs once a very long time ago, but it’s not like I actually knew him. Yet every 4th or 5th little story gets to me. I actually feel something. Maybe I’m not as cynical and dead on the inside as I thought.
Very sweet story but also offers more proof what a lovely family they are even during their profound time of grief.
True, LynnW. Love that his family is as fantastic and grounded as Apple’s products. Speaks volumes about the family he and Laurene raised.
Should have dressed up as a Zune. Now THAT would be scary!
The kids dressed as iPads should have shown up at Balmer’s door.
That would have been a great scare for that bald f*cker.
A zune costume covered in blood with a dagger sticking out would have been cool too on Balmer’s doorstep.
Ballmer’s lucky I live 3,000 miles away. I’d dress up in that Zune with dagger costume myself and knock on his door. I’m shorter than a lot of high school kids. Find a friend to go as a Blue Screen of Death, another to go as a Kin.
A zune in the toilet swirling down would be a better costume.
In some ways I’ve gotten to be a bit of a softie (but not the MS Softie!). These stories just really get to me. How hard it must be to do all that display while mourning the loss of a husband and father. I’m not sure I could do that myself. So much to admire in that family.
I appreciate the family opening there house to the kids on halloween. But the lining up thing strikes me as tacky.
Are there no other houses? Can’t you just come back later? It was only 6:30.
Or is it something you can post on your Facebook page like some badge of honor? It’s all peculiar, if not morbid, to me.
“Oh yea! Let’s go to dead Mr. Jobs house as an iPod!” – are you kidding?