Superior Court Judge John Cole Dies at 65; Served on the Bench for 20 Years
Retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John L. Cole has died of cancer, it was learned this week.
Cole, who presided over trials ranging from the suit of a young woman parishioner who claimed she had been seduced by seven priests to landfill cleanups in Monterey Park, was 65 and had retired from the bench in 1987, 20 years after being appointed by Gov. Ronald Reagan.
Cole, who died Friday, graduated from Stanford Law School in 1950 after Army service in World War II and was in private practice until his appointment to the bench. He was first elected to the office in 1968 and reelected in 1974, 1980 and 1986.
Survivors include his wife, Peggy, five children and four grandchildren.
There will be no formal funeral service. A memorial fund has been established in Cole’s name at Stanford Law School.
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