DOWNTOWN : Redwood Co-Owner Kenneth Ogrin Dies

Kenneth Ogrin, co-owner of the popular Redwood 2nd Street Saloon near the Civic Center, died Dec. 9 at his home in West Hills. He was 49. Police said he was found with a gunshot wound in the head and a gun in his hand.

Ogrin had been a partner in the restaurant and bar at 316 W. 2nd St. for eight years, according to co-owner Larry Mascari. Ogrin was “always very up and optimistic about everything” and well liked by customers, Mascari said.

Besides helping run the business, Ogrin was an avid musician who played keyboards and sang for the band Tin Pan Valley, which played frequently at nightspots in the San Fernando Valley. Dean Ogrin, the oldest of his three sons, also played in the band with his father.

“That was the special bond he and I had--playing music together,” said Dean Ogrin, who described his father as a kind disciplinarian who encouraged his sons to excel in academics and sports. “He’d always give pep talks about how to do better. He was very outgoing . . . and he cared for all his friends and family.”

He is survived by sons Dean, Nicholas and Michael Ogrin, all of the Valley; his parents, Tony and Ann Ogrin of Cleveland; and a sister, Karen, of West Hills. There will be no memorial services, in deference to Ogrin’s wishes.