Remembering ‘The Taffy Lady’

Friends and family of Bobbie Mifflin met at the Peninsula Park gazebo on Saturday to recount stories of the woman Balboa Peninsula residents called “The Taffy Lady.”

Nearly 100 people attended the informal memorial service for the woman who died of a heart attack at age 77 on Oct. 9.

Some sat in lawn chairs, and others, like Kylen Sharpe, sat on the grass facing the speakers on the gazebo.

Mifflin was an icon on the peninsula, said Sharpe, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. As a kid, Sharpe helped Mifflin bag taffy.

“She gave me this great love of God and America,” Sharpe said.

As the owner of Mifflin’s Salt Water Taffy, Mifflin sold sweets and knick-knacks on Palm Street since 1987.

But she was also known by her friends and loved ones as a generous and devout Christian. In fact, her customers knew if they could recite a Bible verse, Mifflin would give them a free piece of candy.

Her son, Dennis Mifflin, said that tradition will continue.

Crissy Brooks, executive director of the Mika Community Development Corp., said when she thinks of Mifflin, she thinks about her generosity.

Brooks said when she was living overseas, Mifflin mailed her a care package.

She also remembers Mifflin’s work with youth. For local kids, Mifflin held business camps during which they learned about running a business.

Some of the kids Mifflin taught could not make it to the memorial service because they were working, Brooks said.

“Because of her, they were able to get jobs and are working now,” Brooks said.

Family and work ethic were important to Mifflin, who was born in Norwalk. She was a single mother when she opened her business at the Balboa Fun Zone in 1969. In 1987, she moved her store to 100 Palm St.

Mifflin’s children — Dennis, Lee and Nancy — helped her run the store. They said their mother’s hard work helped finance their college educations. All three are teachers now.

In order for Mifflin to support her children and be with them as much as possible, she took jobs during school hours. In addition to running her store, Mifflin also worked in the cafeteria at Tustin High School during the winters.

Mifflin befriended everybody, from the homeless to the rich, Dennis Mifflin said.

Don Spargur said he met Mifflin 25 years ago when he injured his knee after surfing in Newport Beach.

“She asked me if my knee was injured, and she didn’t give me a chance to say yes. She just took care of it,” Spargur said recalling his first meeting with Mifflin.

At the memorial, Dennis Mifflin spoke about his mother’s faith in God.

“She would get on my case and say, ‘… If you’re not giving to God, it’s not going to work,’ and lo and behold, it worked; life worked,” Dennis Mifflin said.

Mifflin is survived by her three children; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.