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e couple met in the ninth grade at La Jolla's Bishop's School but went their separate ways, returning to San Diego years later — within a month of each other. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Mike's first job was as a sportscaster at a television station in Montana. Two years later he returned to San Diego, where his Dad was an estate attorney, and attended law school at the University of San Diego. Meanwhile, Jenny moved back to San Diego from Washington, D.C., where she was a commercial real estate manager. e couple reconnected through friends. eir first "real date" was at the now closed Fio's Cucina Italiana in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, followed by a movie date to watch e Full Monty. ree daughters later, the couple will soon celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. eir house, originally built in the 1950s, was a "tear down" when they bought it as an investment property. e McGowans initially planned to rebuild the home and resell it, but the real estate market took a hit during a global financial crisis in 2008. e couple worked with Tim Golba Architects to transform the one-story, two-bedroom house into a two-story family home with five bedrooms and 4.5 baths. On the day of the photoshoot, the house is bustling with activity. While Photographer Pablo Mason and Publisher Bob Stefanko set up a shot in the kitchen, the couple's 18-year-old daughter, bound for college this fall, stops to say "hello" as she heads out the door. Another daughter pops in with a friend, both barefoot and wearing bathing suits on this balmy day after a swim at her grandmother's house across the street. In the dining room, three frisky puppies — Romeo, Sweetpea, and Buttercup — vie for our attention. << ranchandcoast.com 80 AUGUST 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE