Obituaries - Oct. 3, 2008
Albert Bates
Albert Eugene Bates, born Aug. 7, 1939 in Racine, Wis., passed away Sept. 19 in Palmdale.
Al is survived by his children, Lisa Whiting (Gary), Brian Bates (Veronica) and Sheri Lajoie (Joseph). Grandchildren Amber, Jonathan, Amanda, Robert, Ashley and Courtney; and great-grandchildren Jacob and Anthony. Al is also survived by ex-wife Barbara Bates, sisters Tea, Charlene and Barbara and numerous nieces and nephews.
Al joined the U.S. Navy in 1957 and served on the USS Ponchatoula. He went on to become a very well-liked mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office in Glendale. Fulfilling Al’s wishes, and satisfying his yearning for the sea, the family will hold a private service wherein Al will rejoin the ocean he so dearly loved. Remembrance registry: https://hompalm.createatribute.com.
Dr. Ronald N. Kornblum
Funeral services were held in La Crescenta on Saturday for Dr. Ronald N. Kornblum, who died following a lengthy illness Sept. 23 at his La Cañada Flintridge home.
Born Dec. 5, 1933, in Chicago, Kornblum was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA who earned his medical degree in 1959 at UC San Francisco. He went on to become a nationally recognized expert on chokehold deaths.
For eight years he served as Los Angeles County coroner, overseeing a number of high-profile autopsies, including those of notables William Holden, John Belushi, Natalie Wood, Karen Carpenter and Truman Capote.
Kornblum is survived by a sister, Meta Reistad of Napa; and two brothers, Alan of Solvang and Edward of Le Grand, Ore.
Douglas W. Renn
Douglas Walter Renn, born in Los Angeles on March 20, 1945 to Aunita and Ivan Renn, died Sept. 18, 2008.
He and his older sister Linda endured an early tragedy with the untimely loss of their baby sister, Susan, when she was 7 years old.
Douglas spent his childhood in Panorama City where he enjoyed sports, hunting and other outdoor activities. He was a star football player at James Monroe High School and went on to attend Southern Illinois University. He returned to California and married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, and they began their family, which included Larry Dean, Anthony Joaquin and Lisa Lynn.
Doug followed his father into the elevator trade, where he developed trouble-shooting and fix-it skills that served him well.
After a divorce, Doug entered a new phase of his life. He took up square dancing and met Judi Schmidt. Judi and Doug were wed on April 4, 1981 and the new family moved to La Crescenta.
Doug was fun-loving and energetic, but wise with experience and spiritual acumen. He and Judi were primary teachers together, an assignment that they cherished.
In 2006 they were assigned to run the addiction recovery program for their stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They represented and helped those who were battling substance abuse and other addiction issues. The successes Doug enjoyed in this calling were a boost to his own spirituality.
He became more selfless and thoughtful, especially to his wife, his kids, his elderly mother, his beloved 10 “grandbabies” and his many friends.
Services were held on Sept. 23. Friends are invited to leave their favorite memories of Doug at www.huggingdoug.blogspot.com.