A 22-year-old Culver City man was killed Jan. 28 when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle in Santa Monica, police said.
The collision occurred at 1:03 p.m. at 25th Street and Pico Boulevard.
The motorcyclist, identified as Alexander Smollins, was riding eastbound in the 2400 block of Pico, while a vehicle driven by a 26-year-old Inglewood man was stopped northbound on 25th Street at Pico, Sgt. Richard Lewis said.
The motorcycle and vehicle collided as the car made a left turn onto westbound Pico, Lewis said. Smollins received fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, Lewis said.
The driver of the vehicle was interviewed at the location and released. The Santa Monica Police Department is continuing to investigate the cause of the collision.
According to KROQ Los Angeles, Smollins was a former promotions assistant at the radio station.
“After leaving KROQ, Alex continued his friendship with many of us, sharing drinks, laughs and good times throughout the years. He was well-liked by all and always seemed to have a positive outlook on life,” says a statement on the KROQ website.
“Our hearts go out to his friends, family and anyone affected by this tragic incident.”
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Investigator Jason Olson at (310) 458-8954, Sgt. Phillbo Rubish at (310) 458-8950 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at (310) 458-8495.

MICHAEL CAMERON “CAM” KING

Michael Cameron “Cam” King, a longtime resident of the Venice and Marina del Rey area, passed away Dec. 27 from complications of a tragic motorcycle accident in Manhattan Beach. He was 62.
King was well known in the Venice-Marina del Rey community for his friendly demeanor and his warm personality, friends said.
Always quick with a smile and a laugh, he also had a talent for music and wrote hundreds of original songs, friends said. His great enthusiasm for history and English were reflected in his enlightened conversations, which were known to go on for hours, they added.
Music was his love and Harley-Davidson motorcycles were his passion. King owned and collected many bikes over the years and knew the back roads of California very well.
King was born in Chicago to a loving mother who taught English. He had a great affection for Beatles icon John Lennon, with whom King shared an Oct. 9 birthday.
King eventually settled in Southern California for its “unique quirkiness” which fit his lifestyle well, friends said. He frequented many local businesses in Venice and Marina del Rey and was always welcomed with a smile.
King, who contributed to many lives with his sweet spirit and his love and zest for life, was always grateful for the gift of life and the opportunity to contribute to others’ lives, friends noted. He had a great ability to speak on many topics with a vast understanding of the importance of peace and love.
King possessed a true entrepreneurial spirit with his oil and gold investment businesses, and enjoyed the simple life as a free-spirited person, friends said.

Venice resident Tora K. Bikson, a nationally known advocate for ethics in social science research and a longtime psychologist at RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, died Feb. 1. She was 72.
Bikson headed the human subjects protection committee at RAND for more than 25 years and was a leading figure nationally on ethical issues involving human participants in social science research, according to RAND.
“Tora Bikson was an advocate for the highest ethical standards in social and behavioral science research, and she worked tirelessly to assure that the rights of people involved in research were respected,” said Michael D. Rich, president and CEO of RAND. “She also was a skillful and innovative researcher who made significant contributions to understanding how technology influences our behavior.”
Bikson was among a group of advocates who work to highlight the unique ethical issues over how to protect individuals who take part in social and behavioral science research.
She served on a panel organized by the National Research Council that produced a widely regarded report in 2003 that recommended ways to strengthen protections for human subjects in social science research.
“She was highly regarded and admired in this area of inquiry,” said Felice J. Levine, executive director of the American Educational Research Association. “One of her special qualities was how well she was grounded in both the complex issues of human subjects protection and the needs of scientific researchers.”
Bikson joined the RAND research staff in 1974. Her early research focused on the ways that technology altered human behavior in the office environment, including a series of studies about changes prompted by the early use of e-mail. She also studied the use of technology in education, as well as many issues involved in both individual and group decision making.
Bikson received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Missouri and a doctorate in psychology from UCLA. She lectured and taught at many universities during her career.
She is survived by a daughter, Karra Bikson of Venice; a sister, Alesandra Lanto, of New York, NY; her partner, Fred Ruf of Venice; and her former husband, Thomas Bikson of Culver City.
A memorial will be held at a later date at the RAND offices in Santa Monica.

Lisa Schwab, owner of Cantalini’s Salerno Beach restaurant in Playa del Rey, shares her fond memories of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner who passed away Feb. 18 at the age of 80. His teams won 10 NBA Championships since he became owner in 1979.
“I am so sad to hear of the passing of Jerry Buss. Not only do I have wonderful memories of Dr. Buss and his amazing contribution to sports and entertainment, I will greatly miss seeing him around the neighborhood. I loved that he personally called me when he wanted a table, and he was so nice to the staff; such a warm, down-to-earth guy.
“I have many fond memories of Dr. Buss at Cantalini’s, and loved how he let my mom flirt with him (they knew each other well from her days at Chasen’s). I remember this one Valentine’s Day when I saw his limo pull up outside, and the driver asked if I could find room for a party of 12. We did and he came in with a group of kids and their families.
“He told me on the way out that he had met these kids through a program serving ‘at-risk’ youth and was very impressed with them, so he decided to treat the kids and their families to dinner, which I thought was very cool. I suspect he was a pretty amazing role model and he certainly proved to be generous.
“We have had the pleasure of seeing many members of the Lakers organization around Playa del Rey, but it was a distinct honor to have Dr. Buss in the house. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Buss family.”

Longtime Santa Monica Playhouse performer, graphic artist, designer, computer specialist, author, philosopher and poet Timothy Benge-Chadwick passed away Feb. 12 after a long illness. He was 57.
Active with the Santa Monica Playhouse for over 30 years, Benge-Chadwick designed the playhouse’s proprietary computer box office system and web page as well as the cartoon graphics for its long-running Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother, the special effects for Michael Green’s The Art of Coarse Acting and nearly 100 logos for productions and special events.
His dozens of cartoon cutout drawings for last year’s acclaimed production of Arnold Schulman’s Sleeping Ugly received special praise from the press. As a playhouse performer, he originated the role of Stuffy Steve in the Family Theatre musical And Awaaay We Go, was featured in the world premiere
adaptation of Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground and appeared in Abandon All Hopes, for which he was also a contributing writer.
Benge-Chadwick was also a published author of short stories and poems.
A playhouse spokesperson said he will be missed by all who knew him and his work will live on in the upcoming Actors’ Repertory Theatre productions of A Hansel and Gretel Halloween and The Amazing American Melodrama.
Benge-Chadwick was a U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army veteran and will have a private military burial. A memorial service will be held in his honor at Santa Monica Playhouse at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Cat Assistance Network c/o Nancy Barr-Brandon, founder and president, P.O. Box B, Allenhurst, NJ 07711, catrescue@monmouth.com.

Robert Z. Long, a longtime resident of Santa Monica and World War II veteran, died Feb. 17 from complications after a fall, his family said. He was 96.
Long was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 1916. After high school he began working for Pep Boys Auto Supply, and in 1939, he was selected to be the manager of the company’s new store at Santa Monica Boulevard and Sixth Street. He moved to Santa Monica in 1939 and lived there the rest of his life.
Long joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. during World War II. In 1943, he married Elsie Bevard at Fort Sill before being stationed in Europe. He served with the troops that followed Gen. George Patton through France to Berlin, Germany, securing the towns along the way.
After the war, he returned to Santa Monica where he resumed being the manager of Pep Boys. He and his wife had two boys, Stephen and Christopher.
Long retired from Pep Boys in 1975 and later in life began volunteer work delivering Meals on Wheels in Santa Monica, which he did until he was 92 years old. He was as well known for his work with Meals on Wheels, as he was for his 40 years with Pep Boys.
Long was preceded in death by his wife Elsie Long, sister Gladys Tafjen and brother Raymond Long.
He is survived by his son Stephen Long (wife Darlene Long, daughter Jennifer Philipsen, son-in-law Curtiss Philipsen) and son Christopher Long (wife Susan Long, daughter Alexandra Long).
A funeral service for Long was held Feb. 26 at Gates Kingsley & Gates Murphy Moeller mortuary, followed by burial at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica.

Longtime Westchester resident Charles Alexander Escoffery, founder of the Kentwood Toastmaster Club and an active volunteer with Los Angeles International Airport Travelers Aid, has died. He was 95.
Escoffery passed away peacefully at his home Feb. 11 following a period of declining health, his family said.
He was born in Managua, Nicaragua on Feb. 25, 1917 to British parents, Albert Leopold Escoffery and Lorna Bingham
Escoffery. His father was a manager for the Royal Bank
of Canada, traveling with his family over much of Central and South America while Charles was in his youth.
Escoffery was educated at the Presbyterian Elementary
School in Camajuani, Cuba; the Dominican Brothers High School in Barquisimento, Venezuela; Parsboro Regional High School in Parsboro, Nova Scotia; Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia; and McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
He received his Ph.D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. in 1944, and an honorary doctor of science degree from Acadia University in 1970.
Escoffery was employed as chief chemist at International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation in Newark, NJ, and International Rectifier Corporation in El Segundo, where he was instrumental in the development of solar cells, his family said.
In 1960, he toured both the
United States and Europe with a 1910 Baker Electric automobile, which he had outfitted with a panel of solar cells as an advertisement for International Rectifier Corporation. In 1963 he was employed by Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles, from which he retired in 1980 and set up a small consulting company, Escotech.
Escoffery moved his family to California in 1950, and had been a resident in Westchester since that time. He was active in Covenant Presbyterian Church as Clerk of Session and as a member of the choir.
His hobbies included music, chess, languages, golf and backgammon.
Escoffery is survived by his wife of 70 years, Eunice Sayles Escoffery; son Charles Albert Escoffery and wife, Louise of Los Angeles; son David Sayles Escoffery and wife, Donna of Scotts Valley, Calif.; and two grandsons, Darren and Dustin, also of Scotts Valley.
No memorial service is planned. Memorials may be sent to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 6323 W. 80th St., Los Angeles, CA 90045, or Westchester YMCA, 8015 W. 80th St., Los Angeles, CA 90045.

CAROLE EUNICE COCHRAN

Playa del Rey resident Carole Eunice Cochran, a third generation Californian, passed away peacefully in her home with her family by her side March 22. She was 67.
Cochran was born May 17, 1945 in Los Angeles to Francis and Rhea Cochran. The middle of three children, Cochran enjoyed the years she spent with her family living in Pasadena. She especially cherished the trips her family took to their uncle’s cabin on Malibu Beach, where abalone shells were abundant. Thus began her love affair with the ocean.
As Cochran entered her adult years, she attended Scripps College and studied literature. While there, she made lifelong friendships and connections that were a source of inspiration for years to come. After college she lived in Seattle and Boston, and while in Boston she received her master’s degree in library science.
Once her son, Malcolm, was born in 1975, Cochran returned to Los Angeles to dive into motherhood. While in Los Angeles, she decided to reinvent herself as she worked to achieve her master’s in social work.
That is when she met her husband, William Bond, in 1980. They were married in 1982 and their daughter, Mara Bond, was born in 1983.
At the family’s Playa del Rey home, Cochran made sure that each night they ate dinner together as a family and she supported them in their every endeavor. In addition to those family moments, one of Cochran’s favorite times during the day was enjoying the magic of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, her family said.
During those years in Playa del Rey, Cochran worked as a social worker at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica where she established many close relationships. In 1993, Cochran went back to her roots as a librarian and worked in various libraries all over the Los Angeles area.
Beyond her career, Cochran was an artist, photographer, volunteer for the Ballona Wetlands, avid traveler, Girl Scout troop leader, basket weaver, writer, and much more. She had the unique gift of bringing out the best in others, and when Cochran discovered a passion, she shared it and transformed the lives of those she touched, her family said.
In 2003 Cochran was diagnosed with scleroderma, and during her 10 years living with the challenges of the disease, she still lived life to the fullest, her family said. She retired as a librarian and used her time to fully engage in the things that made her happy: she travelled, volunteered, hosted parties for friends, and continued to be a dedicated mother.
She was especially elated when she became a grandmother in 2007. Her family said that Cochran outlived her prognosis by several years, and up until her passing, she continued to express how full her life was.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at the Playa Vista Library, 6400 Playa Vista Drive, Playa Vista.
Although the family does not expect gifts of any kind, many people have asked if they could make a donation to either the Scleroderma Foundation or the Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library in lieu of gifts. Interested parties can access the Scleroderma Foundation website at: www.scleroderma.org and the Friends of the Public Library at: www.colapublib.org/support/friends.html.

Earley Jerome Terry, a retired officer of the Los Angeles World Airports police division and former president and vice president of the union serving airport police, passed away March 25.
Terry served on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association and led the organization as vice president and president throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Terry was instrumental in ushering enhanced and refocused training of Los Angeles International Airport tenants, particularly security and traffic officers, to understand and embrace their new role in a post 9-11 world, said Marshall McClain, president of the airport police union.
Terry, who commanded respect among sworn and non-sworn officers, served as a leading voice in the critical mission of changing how LAX handled security at an unprecedented time in aviation policing, McClain noted.
Off duty, Terry led a non-police officer life that mirrored his law enforcement success, including his 20-year ownership and operation of E & J Locksmith, where he was developing a mentoring program for young men to enter the locksmith trade at the time of his death, McClain said.
He was an active member of the Figueroa Church of Christ, including singing in its choir and serving on the church’s library remodeling committee.
Terry enjoyed camping, was a RV and motor home enthusiast, loved music and he loved life itself, McClain said.
Remembrances may be made in the form desired by friends and sent to:
Inglewood Mortuary, 3801 W. Manchester Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90305

Jeffery Allen Gilbertson passed away April 2 at his boat-home in Marina del Rey. He was 51.
Gilbertson was born in Albert Lea, Minn. on March 9, 1962. He had lived in California since 1988.
Gilbertson is survived by his mother, Shirley Montgomery of Cincinnati; his father, Vic Gilbertson of Albert Lea, Minn.; his sister, Shelley Goldman of Cincinnati, and his brother Sheldon Mitchell Gilbertson of Cincinnati.
The family asks that because of Gilbertson’s love of animals, especially rescue cats, donations in his name be directed to a local shelter.

Longtime Westchester resident Russell Leigh passed away April 14. He was 94.
Leigh was born Feb. 27, 1919 in LaFayette, Ga.
He was a loving father, grandfather and friend.
Leigh was preceded in death by his wife Bertha in 2008 and daughter Eunice in 2012.
He is survived by his son Ron, and daughter-in-law Mary; grandchildren, Tim and wife Emilie, and Tina; and great-grandchildren Olivia and Alyssa.
They say they will miss him and his infamous quote, “Never had a bad day in my life.”
Memorial services will be held at Leigh’s home Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m.

Playa del Rey resident and World War II veteran Bernard S. Clendenin passed away March 30. He was 87.
Clendenin was born in New York City on May 30, 1925. From an early age living in New York he found a keen interest in fine art. He studied at the prestigious Art Students League of New York.
Clendenin later served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In the 1950s he established a career in graphic arts in the aerospace industry after moving to Los Angeles. A community activist, he was instrumental in working out negotiations surrounding unfair minority hiring practices with the Los Angeles City and County Fire Departments, his family said.
Clendenin was a Renaissance man. He was an author, editor, designer, television producer and a musician. Even with his many interests, his number-one love was art and he would not be found without a paintbrush nearby through his adult life, his family said.
Clendenin shared his talents with an intimate circle of the arts community and through national shows and gallery exhibits. He was the owner of Clendenin Fine Art Concepts.
Known for his large and hearty smile and quick laughter, Clendenin’s characteristics will long be remembered in many walks of life, his family said.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Arlene; his loving children, Bernard David Clendenin of Tampa, Fla. and Lynne Clendenin Christensen of Portland, Ore.; his grandchildren, Annlee Elizabeth, Bernard Michael, Brandon Spencer, Neah Hannah and Morgan Rachel; his great-grandchildren, Dustin, Casey and Tyler; his sister Esther Harper of Jacksonville, Fla.; numerous nieces, nephews; and loving friends, Denice Tousche and many others.

Edith Gahlbeck, a longtime resident of Westchester, passed away April 5. She was 94.
Gahlbeck was born in Martins Ferry, OH as the youngest of seven children.
Gahlbeck and her husband, Larry, moved to Westchester in 1956, where she became active in the Parent-Teacher Association, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and worked on all election polls.
Gahlbeck was preceded in death by her husband, Laurence.
She is survived by her children, Linda, Sharon and Bill; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services took place April 13 at Inglewood Cemetery mortuary.

Westchester resident Nancy Schneider, who for years fought against Los Angeles International Airport impacts on nearby communities along with her husband, Denny, has died. She was 62.
Schneider passed away last month after a long battle with cancer. Services were held April 19 at Hillside Cemetery in Culver City.
Denny Schneider, president of the Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion, remembered how his wife was so full of love for everyone and always made him smile.
“Not a day went by without my feeling loved and I loved her the same way. Nan worked so very hard to make other people feel better,” Schneider said.
Schneider said that most of all, his wife loved her family, which was not only blood relatives but close friends.
He recalled how she was a prolific artist and would translate things she saw into pieces of art.
As a longtime Westchester resident, Nan Schneider sought to make the community a better place to live and was active for 18 years in the fight to ensure LAX plans did not adversely impact local residents, her husband said.
“She touched so many lives. Needless to say her passion in the 18-year fight to fix LAX ran deep,” Denny Schneider said.
An advocate for education, Nan volunteered at the Westside Neighborhood School in Del Rey and also spent 20 years volunteering at Westchester High School.
“She will be remembered by so many as the one who cared, cared about education,” Denny Schneider said.
She was also a lover of animals, and after earning a degree in psychology, she also taught animal behavior.
“She was so very talented at training dogs and husbands,” Schneider quipped. “I will miss her so very much.”
Schneider is survived by her husband, Denny; daughter, Beth and husband Jeff; son Aaron and wife Julie; and grandchildren Lily and Penny.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in Nan’s name may be made to the City of Hope at www.cityofhope.org/giving/Pages/default.aspx.

Bill Fairbanks, a former coach and longtime teacher at Venice High School, died peacefully in Santa Monica April 7. He was 77.
Born on May 8, 1935, in rural Spring Lake, Mich., Fairbanks was a U.S. Marine who patrolled the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea before returning to Camp Pendleton in California as a Marine Corps drill instructor.
A graduate of UCLA in physical education/kinesiology, he was hired to teach P.E. at Palms Junior High School and later transferred to Venice High.
At Venice, Fairbanks coached basketball, baseball, golf and swimming and chaired the P.E. department. He was best known as a football coach who earned the respect of his players and colleagues.
Fairbanks proudly was a charter member of United Teachers Los Angeles. He married his “beautiful green-eyed lady,” Wendy, in 1972 and lovingly helped raise her son Erik Pedersen and her younger sister Kellie Flanagan.
In addition to Wendy, Erik and Kellie, Fairbanks is survived by his sister-in-law Jill Flanagan; brother-in-law David Briley; daughter-in-law Susan Pedersen; niece Clara Fairbanks Flanagan Briley; and grandsons Ian, Tyler and Gavin Pedersen; brother Terry Flanagan and his sons, Terry and Pat.
Because of his renowned ability for telling a story, a public “storytelling memorial” was held May 4 at the Venice High School auditorium, where hundreds of past colleagues, students, players and friends shared stories and their love for Coach Fairbanks.
The Venice High Alumni Association has established a scholarship in his name. Information about the scholarship and pictures from the storytelling can be found online at www.venicehighalumni.com.
The Gondolier Boosters have renamed their annual golf tournament to the Bill Fairbanks Gondo Golf Classic. This year’s tournament will be held on June 17 in Canyon Country.

Donald Harry Brandsen, who advocated to save the Santa Monica Airport over the last 35 years and served as chairman of the Santa Monica Airport Association Political Action Committee, has died. He was 70.
Brandsen was a man of unwavering commitment, demonstrated in efforts like his decades-long fight in support of the airport against the city of Santa Monica and the Federal Aviation Administration, friends said.
Even his opponents, who “locked horns” with him in battle, respected him completely on a personal level, friends say. He understood and reveled in debate; he never feared a challenge and was graceful in defeat, they said.
Friends added that Santa Monica Airport is a “magical” place as a result of Brandsen’s tireless efforts.
He was born in Chicago on July 14, 1942 and ended up in Southern California by about 1947. Soon after moving to the Westside, Brandsen managed to save his family’s home by mostly putting out a fire of suspicious origins using a garden hose while his parents were gone, friends said.
After attending a military academy (school), Brandsen served a brief stint with the U.S. Navy in Japan, managing to orchestrate an early departure while avoiding a dishonorable discharge.
Upon his return to California, he worked in construction, found it to his liking and eventually became a building contractor.  When he discovered that the plumbers were making more than he was, he promptly switched trades and became a plumbing contractor, thanks to his mentor Bill Shaw, friends said.
He later joined Rotary and became president of a local club.
Brandsen is survived by his daughter Donna Brandsen Gill; granddaughters Tara Lynn and Tamara Angel, Debbie Gibson and Sierra Rose. He was preceded in death by his younger brother William Brandsen, mother Eleanor Estelle and father Edgar Harry.

Ross E. Nath, a Westchester resident since 1950, passed away surrounded by his children on May 17. He was 89.
Nath was born in Royal Oak, Mich. on May 14, 1924.
He was a World War II and Korean War veteran.
Nath loved to work in his yard and raised orchids and strawberries.
He is survived by his son, Michael Nath, and wife, Janie Nath; daughter, Linda Lacosse; grandchildren, Michael, Dustin and Shaun Nath; and two great-grandchildren.

Former longtime Westchester resident Arthur Donald Stretton passed away peacefully in Camarillo surrounded by his loving family on May 19. He was 84.
Stretton lived in Westchester from 1956 to 1987 and was a parishioner of Visitation Catholic Church prior to relocating to Camarillo to be closer to family.
Born on July 23, 1928 in Los Angeles, Stretton grew as an only child and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, of which he was very proud. He attended and graduated from USC’s School of Pharmacy in 1951 and served as a pharmacist in Korea during the Korean War.
After returning from the war, he practiced pharmacy with his father at Stretton Drugs in Hollywood and later went to work for Horton and Converse Pharmacy in Westchester. When Horton and Converse closed. Stretton went to work at Savon Drugs in Ladera, where he retired after many years of service.
Stretton married nurse Sara Jane Hooper, and together they had five children: four of whom attended Visitation Elementary and St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey. After Sara passed away in 1979, Stretton married Virginia Martin.
Stretton, who enjoyed the outdoors, was an avid fisherman and a member of the Torrance chapter of Bass Masters.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Sara Jane Hooper, his son, Paul Arthur Stretton, and daughters, Sharron and Eileen Stretton. He is survived by daughter, Marianne Bruce of Camarillo; son, Matthew Stretton of Scottsdale, Ariz.; daughters-in-law, Sandy Stretton and Liz Stretton Reinke; five grandchildren, Laura, Kevin, Garrett, Blake and Sara; and two great-grandsons, Owen Paul and Cole.
A funeral mass for Stretton is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1 at Visitation Catholic Church in Westchester, followed by a brief gravesite service at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

William “Bill” Lansford of Playa del Rey, husband of Friends of the Ballona Wetlands founder Ruth Lansford, passed away May 22 from complications of prostate cancer. He was 90.
Lansford was an author and screenwriter who served as a United States Marine in World War II and later with the Army in the Korean War.
When his wife founded the environmental organization in 1978, Lansford attended many board meetings to support his wife and the cause of preserving the wetlands.
Ruth Lansford said her husband worked as a public information officer while in the armed services and later as a reporter with the Los Angeles Daily News.
“He composed many of the (Friends of the Ballona Wetlands) newsletters when we got started,” she recalled.
William Douglas Lansford was born in East Los Angeles, on July 13, 1922 as the son of Frank Alva Stone, a police officer, and Rosalina Melendez, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico.
In 1940 he joined the Marine Corps and was stationed in Iceland when Pearl Harbor was attacked the following year on Dec. 7, 1941. Lansford participated in the Midway, Guadalcanal and Bougainville campaigns, according to his family. He later landed on Iwo Jima, where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart.
During the Korean War, Lansford served as a military combat correspondent, covering numerous battles on various fronts and was promoted to first lieutenant.
Following his discharge from the Army, Lansford was hired as a story editor for Paramount Studios for the 1960s television western “Bonanza.” He later wrote for “Star Trek” “CHiPs,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Ironside,” and “Fantasy Island.”
“Villa Rides,” a 1986 film starring Yul Brynner, was based on a biography Lansford wrote, “Pancho Villa.”
His novel, “The Wind and the Ships,” will be published next month, according to his wife.
In 1957, he married Ruth Ketchum, a Long Island, NY native.
Lansford is survived by his wife and sons, William Jr. and Matthew, and grandchild Kekoa Lansford of Maui.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Eugene Obregòn Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, an organization working on the construction of a monument to pay tribute to all Medal of Honor winners, including 40 Latinos.
Information, www.obregoncmh.org.
There will be no funeral service, at the family’s request.

Carol Edelsohn, a 40-year resident of Marina del Rey, passed away peacefully June 2 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease. She was 79.
Edelsohn was born on April 7, 1934 in Brooklyn, NY.
She spent her early career as a teacher and later became the first licensed female stock broker in California, friends said.
An entrepreneur, she was a co-founder of the National Association of Women Business Owners in Los Angeles and the First Women’s Bank of California. Later, she owned the La Paloma Las Flores Hotel on Catalina Island.
Always immaculately dressed, Edelsohn lived a full life and was known as a very warm, giving person, her friends said. She always had a sense of humor and kind things to say, friends added.
Before her illness, she was active as a recreational dancer, water skier, tennis player and swimmer.
She is survived by her daughter Elyse Filderman, son-in-law Carl Edwards and her sister Joan Grober.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2440 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #115, Los Angeles, 90064. Information, (310) 479-4456. The family will be holding a memorial service and a remembrance of her life, which will be held at the Marina City Club, 4333 Admiralty Way, Galaxy Ball Room, third floor, in Marina del Rey from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 23. 310.991.4182.