M E E T
T H E
J U D G E S
by Lyndsey E. Siara – Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
the oldest graduating student, she earned her degree in
art history and Native American studies.
Fred Senior was a physicist, having received his
watches her bananas sprout along the river. Trying not
Ph.D. from UCLA, and worked for the government on
to be distracted by the beauty and serenity of her
top secret nuclear weapons research and development
backyard sanctuary, I had the pleasure of learning what
projects at Los Alamos National Laboratories. Judge
I now share with you.
Tesche Arkin recalls that his level of clearance came
Judge Tesche Arkin was obviously thrilled to be
with a hostage negotiation plan (is that cool or what?!?!),
nearing the finish line of her orthopedic surgery
and her father’s immediate supervisor was a four-star
recovery. The surgery that left her with a bionic ankle
general. While the family lived in New Mexico,
stemmed from a shattered femur after a bad car accident
Maryland, and D.C., the more notable mission was
when she was a sophomore in college, followed by
a diplomatic post as the
degenerative arthritis. In
United States Scientific
college, her recovery
Advisor at the American
motivation was a picture
embassy in London.
of Mount McKinley.
About ten years old when
Now, it’s the Swiss Alps,
they moved abroad, young
which she plans to
Caroline had what she
eventually trek. She also
described as the best
focuses on returning to
academic experience of
her courthouse family and
her child hood. Having
hopefully a more active
skipped a grade in the
lifestyle than the arthritis
transition from America
previously allowed. Judge
to England, Judge Tesche
Tesche Arkin fancies
Arkin learned to speak
herself an athlete and has
French — she still speaks
always loved the outdoors.
enough to get by — and
Judge Tesche Arkin is
even picked up a wickedly
a Tampa import. Born in
Judge
Tesche
Arkin
and
her
older
brothers
good British accent. The
New Mexico to Fred and
family eventually returned
Marilyn Tesche, the
to
California
where
her
father
finished out his career
youngest child of this family had quite an interesting
working on energy alternatives like wind and solar, and
childhood. Judge Tesche Arkin had four older brothers
teaching at UC Berkley as a physics professor.
— Fred, Tom, Allan, and Dan; her fondness for each of
The family’s nomadic-like lifestyle spawned a life-long
them truly shines. Interestingly, the age gap between
love for travelling; during summer breaks, Judge Tesche
Judge Tesche Arkin and her brothers is quite expansive
Arkin’s mother took her to countries such as Greece, Italy,
— 11 years separate her and her next youngest sibling.
and France. As an adult, her travels are only more exotic.
So by the time baby Caroline came along, her brothers
For their honeymoon, Judge Tesche Arkin and her
were mostly grown, and seemed more like uncles to her
husband Steve traveled to Iceland and Norway. They
— six-foot protective ones.
have been dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska, stayed in
Judge Tesche Arkin’s child hood was shaped by her
an overwater bungalow in the French Polynesian, and
father’s career, so his story is interwoven with her early
went sailing on a catamaran in Bora Bora. As a last
years. Fred Senior was born in San Jose, California (a
hurrah before her surgery, Judge Tesche Arkin recently
city in which I lived for several years — yet another
travelled to Singapore and Thailand. Judge Tesche Arkin
reminder that a collegial conversation can elicit
and Steve both appreciate memories and experiences
connections you never knew existed). He became a
over material things.
Second Lieutenant in World War II. Judge Tesche
In that same vein, people and relationships are just as
Arkin’s parents were both students at the University of
important.
That was apparent from the get-go; she took
California Berkley when they met. After they married,
Marilyn suspended her studies to raise the children.
Continued on page 21
Thirty-five years later, Marilyn returned to Cal, and as
Continued from page 19
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M AY - J U N E 2 0 2 0
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