Seymour Greben; Former Parks Chief

Seymour Greben, 71, former head of parks departments for both the city and county of Los Angeles. Educated at UCLA, DePaul University and the University of Chicago, Greben served as executive officer of the city Recreation and Parks Department from 1969 to 1974 and then as director of the county Department of Parks and Recreation until 1977. He co-wrote a nationally recognized study, “Future Perspectives: Earning a Place in National Priorities,” and helped write California’s Roberti-Z’berg Urban Park Act of 1974, which has provided funding for local park agencies. Greben also did pioneering work in establishing a shoreline trail from Malibu to Venice. During his varied career, Greben directed Peace Corps programs in Malaysia, the Philippines and Liberia, was a staff director for the World Bank in Africa and in recent years was a consultant to the East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland. On Feb. 13 in Novato, Calif.