Dave Ustin; Western Bagel Baking Corp. Owner

Dave Ustin, owner and president of Western Bagel Baking Corp.--the largest bagel bakery west of the Mississippi--has died.

Ustin died late Thursday of lymphoma at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, according to his niece, Debbie Simonowitz of Canyon Country. He was 77.

Born Sept. 17, 1919, in the Bronx, Ustin began working as a bagel baker alongside his father at a bakery in New York.

During World War II, Ustin served in the Navy, surviving three bomb attacks while at sea. “The first thing he wanted to know when he got to shore was, ‘When do we get to go back out?’ ” said Charlene Ustin of her father-in-law, who had battled cancer for five years. “He had an incredible amount of courage.”

In 1946, Ustin moved west, settling in Culver City while establishing his bagel business. His bakery on Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys was the first bagel bakery in the city, according to a spokesman. It has since grown into a 150,000-square-foot facility that produces more than 60,000 bagels per hour.

Its 500 employees operate the main plant as well as 10 Western Bagel Too retail stores throughout Southern California. Additional stores in Chatsworth, Northridge and Granada Hills are expected to open during 1997.

Noted for his humanitarianism and affability, Ustin sponsored two schools near the company’s main plant. Each year, the company would give food baskets to the schools and take several dozen students on shopping sprees.

“Dave helped everyone . . . he treated everyone as an equal--whether you were a sanitation worker or head of production,” said Charlene Ustin.

Ustin is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ethel; his son, Steve Ustin of Woodland Hills; his daughter, Barbara Goldstein of Tarzana; two brothers, George Ustin of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., and Tex Ustin of Boca Raton, Fla., and eight grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held Sunday at 10 a.m. at Eden Memorial Park, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.