Former Anaheim Bulletin Publisher Loudon Dies at 76

L. Howard Loudon, civic leader and publisher of the Anaheim Bulletin from 1947 to 1969, died Thursday after a long illness. He was 76.

Active in civic affairs, Loudon served as foreman pro tem of the 1981-1982 Orange County Grand Jury, and president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Home Society of Orange County, the Orange County chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Newspaper Publishers Assn. of Orange County.

He was born in Santa Fe Springs in 1915 and moved to Anaheim in 1923, when his father, Lotus Loudon, established the Anaheim Bulletin. After graduation from Stanford University, Loudon worked for a San Francisco advertising firm. He joined the Navy in 1939 and rose to the rank of commander. He served on two ships, the Dixie and the Bridge.

After his father became ill, Loudon resigned his commission and returned to Anaheim and became publisher. The Bulletin was family-owned through 1962, when it was sold to Freedom Newspapers Inc., which owns the Orange County Register. Loudon continued as publisher until 1969.

Loudon was also active in real estate development after his retirement as publisher. He was also a charter member of the Orange County Symphony Assn., and was a hearing officer and member of the Assessment Appeals Board for Orange County from 1982 to 1987.

He is survived by his widow, Victoria; two daughters, Kathryn Hedgepeth of Broomfield, Colo., and Gretchen Loudon of Mission Viejo; a son, Christopher of Fullerton; a sister, Mildred Taggart of Anaheim; a brother, Stanley of Fort Jones, Calif., and seven grandchildren.

Memorial services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Margaret’s of Scotland Episcopal Church in San Juan Capistrano. The family requests donations to the Leukemia Society of America.