Obituaries
Former Councilman John Parsons Dies
Parsons will be remembered for his public service to the city of Redondo Beach and the rest of the South Bay.
John Parsons, a former Redondo Beach city councilman and current planning commissioner, died Thursday morning. He was 61.
"The city lost one of its biggest supporters today. I am deeply saddened by John’s passing," Mayor Steve Aspel, a longtime friend of Parsons', said in a statement from the city. “John was a beacon for progress and prosperity in Redondo Beach and the South Bay. He will be fondly remembered as a talker, but what speaks loudest is his legacy of a wonderful family, and accomplishments and awards too long to list. I will miss his sense of humor—he was one of a few that could give a joke and take it, too.”
Parsons was hospitalized after he suffered a stroke near the end of Tuesday's Redondo Beach City Council meeting.
Parsons, who was recognized as a Patch "Greatest Person" last year, was a well-recognized figure in Redondo Beach politics. In addition to his time on the Redondo Beach City Council and Planning Commission, Parsons was active in the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the South Bay Council of Governments. In recognition of his contributions to the region, the South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce named the John J. Parsons SBACC Business Citizenship Award in his honor.
Parsons was also a founding member and original chairman of the Los Angeles Air Force Regional Alliance, which successfully protected Los Angeles Air Force Base from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list. He also fought to retain the 310 area code for the area, according to the city.
"John was at every meeting in the community," Councilman Matt Kilroy said. "It wasn’t considered a meeting in Redondo Beach without John. He had a knack for getting people involved—that’s how I got started in public service."
The public is invited to the funeral services, which will be held at American Martyrs Church, located at 624 15th Street in Manhattan Beach, at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 30. A reception at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., will immediately follow.
Funeral attendees should wear Tommy Bahama or Hawaiian shirts, or tropical-inspired business attire. Additionally, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Redondo Beach Rotary Club's John Parsons Scholarship Fund. Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 411, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.
In the meantime, Aspel has ordered that city flags be flown at half-staff.
Parsons is survived by his wife, Mary Anne, and his two daughters, Danielle and Nicole.
What's your favorite memory of John Parsons? Tell us in the comments!
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