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latimes.com/placeobituaryJune 15, 1925 - March 1, 2020HOUSTON, Ivan James
Ivan J. Houston was born in Los
Angeles, California, June 15, 1925, the
second son to Norman O. Houston and
Doris Young Houston. After graduating
from L.A.’s Polytechnic High School
in 1942 Ivan entered the University
of California at Berkeley. The country
was also engaged in World War II,
and in 1943, he enlisted in the United
States Army and was assigned to the
legendary African American 92nd
Infantry Division, also known as the
famed Buffalo Soldiers. Returning
from the war in 1945, he married
Philippa, and reentered U.C. Berkeley,
then received his Bachelor of Science
degree in Business Administration in- He also received an Honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from the
University of La Verne.
Professionally, he was a Chartered
Life Underwriter, a Fellow of the Life
Management Institute and a Member
of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Ivan was Chief Executive Officer of
Golden State Mutual Life Insurance
Company from 1970 until 1990, an
organization his father co-organized.
In that capacity, Golden State rose
to become the 3rd largest black life
insurance company in the nation
with more than $4B of insurance in
force. He also served on the boards of
several national corporations. For 16
consecutive years, Ivan was listed in
Ebony Magazine as one of America’s
most influential black leaders.
Ivan also provided leadership in
civic affairs at the local, state and
national level. He was president of
the Los Angeles City Human Relations
Commission, and sat on the YMCA of
Metropolitan Los Angeles Board of
Directors. He chaired the boards of
the Los Angeles Urban League, the
United Way of Los Angeles Central
Region, and the Southern California
Chapter of the National Conference of
Christians & Jews (NCCJ). He served
on both the National Urban League
Board of Directors and the NCCJ
National Board of Directors. He was
one of the founders of UC Berkeley’s
chapter for the African-American
Greek Fraternal organization, Kappa
Alpha Psi. In addition, he has headed
the Los Angeles chapter of Sigma Pi Phi
Fraternity (also known as “The Boule”).
In 1993, Pope John Paul II honored
Ivan by naming him a Knight of the
Order of Saint Gregory the Great.
During World War II, Ivan served
as a combat infantryman with the all
black 92nd Infantry Division in Italy.
In that capacity he was awarded the
Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the
Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious
achievement in action. Ivan was
awarded the Purple Heart for wounds
received in enemy action; and with
three Battle Stars for the following
campaigns: Rome to the Arno River,
the North Apennines, and the Po River
Valley. Houston is still a member of the
Military Order of the Purple Heart, the
American Legion, Veterans of Foreign
Wars and Disabled American Veterans.
He ended the war as his battalion’s
sergeant major.
In retirement, Ivan published a book
based on his combat activities in Italy.
Called “Black Warriors: The Buffalo
Soldiers of World War II,” it was also
discovered, read and translated into
Italian; it helped to motivate him to
eight years of travel and reception
back to Italy. A 2nd book, “The Return
of the Buffalo Soldier” is with the
publisher, chronicling these visits, and
a documentary “With One Tied Hand”
has also been completed.
Ivan’s wife, Philippa, transitioned in
March 2011. He is survived by his son,
Ivan A. (Leslie), daughters, Pamela
Chretien (Paul) and Kathi Berryman
(James), 2 grandsons, Barrett Todd
(Jennifer) and Jay Christian (Jeanne),
2 great-granddaughters, Sanaa
Lauren and Jeanne Kathleen, and 2
great-grandsons, Jay Christian Jr. and
Brandon Todd, and a host of other
loved ones, family and friends.
Service will be at St. Jerome’s
Church, 5550 Thornburn St., L.A.
90045 on Tuesday, March 10 at 10am.
Interment following at Holy Cross
Cemetery.
June 10, 2017 - February 28, 2020WEINBRECHT, James
FrancisOur beloved “Bumby” passedaway
in the comfort of his mother’s loving
arms with his father by their side.
James spent his life bravely fighting
Tay-Sachs disease. He touched many
with his sweet and gentle nature and
was adored by anyone who had the
pleasure to enjoy his precious smiles.
James is survived by his parents,
Andrea and Gregory, and brother
William of South Pasadena.
Please consider extending kindness
to a stranger or someone in need on
this day of remembrance.
Service information:
http://www.cabotandsonsfh.comOBITUARY NOTICES
Place a paid notice latimes.com/placeobituary
Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimesMausoleum grave. Single capacity.
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(or 310-779-0404 messages)Cemetery Lots/Crypts(91) who passed away on February
15, 2020 in Burbank. She is survived by
her daughters, Linda (Gary) Ogimachi
and Diane Yamashita; grandchildren,
Kellie and Ryan Ogimachi; also
survived by many nieces, nephews,
and other relatives.
A memorial service will be held on
Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 11:00AM at
Crossway Church, 9610 Haddon Ave.,
Pacoima, CA 91331. The family kindly
requests casual attire.
http://www.kubotamortuary.com
(213) 749-1449.YAMASHITA, Harumi
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks
Hollywood Hills 800-600-
http://www.mountsinaiparks.orgSTABLER, Joe
June 7, 1928 - February 28, 2020RADOS, Alex
The Rados family regrets to inform
of the passing of Alex Rados on
February 28, 2020. A full obituary
will follow at a later date. Services
for Alex will be held at 10:30 a.m. on
Saturday, March 7, 2020 at St. Steven’s
Serbian Orthodox Cathedral at 1621
West Garvey Avenue in Alhambra,
California. Interment will be private.June 14, 1932 - March 1, 2020JOSEPH, Jerry Joseph
Passedaway after abrief illness
on March 1, 2020. Born 6/14/
in Cleveland, OH. He moved to Los
Angeles at age 12 as the youngest of
three brothers and two sisters. Jerry
met his wife of 67 years, Roz Joseph,
while attending Dorsey High School.
Excelling at sales from an early age, he
had a long and illustrious career in the
health insurance industry. Starting as a
top salesman at Prudential Insurance,
he quickly transitioned to operating his
own nationwide insurance agency and
ultimately owning his own insurance
company. Jerry was an avid world
traveler, automotive enthusiast, poker
player, and first class wise guy. Most
importantly, he will be remembered
by all those who knew him as a
loving husband, caring father, doting
grandfather, great-grandfather and
best friend to many. Jerry is survived
by his wife, Roz, daughter Dennise,
sons Doug (Debbie) and Paul (Andrea),
and grandchildren Ashley,Devon,
Kelsey, Michelle, Kyle, Brandon,
and great-grandchildren Katelyn,
Savannah, and Sofia.Service will be held on Wednesday,
March 4th at 12 noon at Hillside
Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Ave.,
Los Angeles.In lieu of flowers, memorial
contributions may be made to:
EBMRF.org.May 9, 1935 - March 1, 2020ALSCHULER, Donald J.
Don started his first business
venture in 1942, selling eggs from his
backyard chickens door-to-door in
his native Brentwood. He was 7 years
old. Throughout his life, he continued
to hone his business acumen and
occupied many leadership positions.
While at Emerson Jr. High, he bred
and sold hamsters to the Beverly
Hills Pet Store. Always a leader, at
Beverly High he lead the “Bee Team”
as quarterback. Upon graduating in
1953, he continued as the quarterback
for his ZBT Fraternity football team at
CU Boulder and later at UC Berkeley.
After graduating in 1957, he served
in the Air Force in Washington, D.C.
as a Lieutenant. In 1960 he moved
back to California to become a CPA.
Three years later, he combined his
interest in accounting with his natural
leadership skills, and opened his own
company Modern Service Office Supply
(a.k.a. MSOS). MSOS delivered office
supplies across the nation until 1993,
when Don sold the company to focus
on new positions in leadership. He
served on the boards of United Way LA,
United Jewish Welfare Fund, Vista Del
Mar, and other non-profits. Instead of
retiring fully, he became a CEO Coach,
an Angel Investor, and cultivated his
lifelong interest in the stock market.
Using his computer skills, he began a
career in digital photography for the
Huntington Gardens. His many photos
also captured animals at the LA Zoo, his
worldwide travels, and “Images Of The
Not So Famous.”
Don was predeceased by his son
Brian Jay. He is survived by his wife
of 62 years, Lynne Lewis Alschuler,
his two daughters Melanie Maguire
(Michael) and Trina Scholz (Eric), and
four granddaughters Emma Fraser
(Ian), Moorea, Lizzy, and Misha. We
will miss you on the ski slopes, the
tennis courts, and our travels around
the world.
Funeral services will be held at
Hillside Memorial Park on Friday,
March 6th at 12 noon. In lieu of
flowers, please make a donation to
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
or UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center
Foundation.CORONAVIRUS
tinely wiping down the touch
screens that voters will use
to cast their ballots.
“I washed my hands the
CDC way after using it,” one
voter wrote on Twitter.
“Definitely going to use
hand sanitizer and wipe
down surfaces,” wrote an-
other.
At a voting center at
Rosemead High School,
Kevin Voong voted in his
first election on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old didn’t see
the need to wear a mask or
use hand sanitizer before or
after voting, he said.
“The more we talk about
the coronavirus, the more
we spread the panic,” he
said. “I’m young and healthy.
What do I have to worry
about? If I was old, then it
would be different.”
Also filling their ballots at
the high school, Jose Ahu-
mada, 84, and his wife, Maria
Ahumada, 75, laughed off
the idea of precautionary
measures.
“Why would I wear a
mask?” Maria said. “I’ve al-As coronavirus cases
continued to rise in Califor-
nia, affecting 11 counties up
and down the state, millions
hit the polls to cast their Su-
per Tuesday votes in local,
state and national elections.
Whether concerns about
COVID-19 will affect in-per-
son voter turnout, or prompt
significant numbers of resi-
dents to stray from habit
and vote by mail, remains to
be seen. But some counties
are taking precautions to
sanitize voting areas and al-
leviate fear.
In Santa Clara County,
officials have distributed
hand sanitizer and wipes at
polling stations. The county
has at least nine confirmed
cases of coronavirus, the
highest in the state.
Polling place workers are
wiping down touch-screen
voting devices with disin-
fectant wipes between use,
said Steven Spivak, spokes-
man for the Santa Clara
County registrar of voters of-
fice. He said they are also en-
couraging workers to wash
their hands and stay home if
they’re sick.
The county also distrib-
uted mail-in ballots to every
registered voter this year,
which may have come in
handy amid the outbreak.
“We’re urging people who
feel sick to mail in their bal-
lot,” he said. As to whether
fears of illness will reduce
voter turnout, Spivak said
the county has tried to take
precautions to mitigate con-
cerns.
“We encourage people to
go out there and get those
ballots in,” he said.
At vote centers in L.A.
County, which has reported
one confirmed case of the
virus, millions are voting on
new machines. A spokes-
person said workers are rou-
ready lived a good life.”
The most consistently re-
peated recommendation
from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to
protect against the co-
ronavirus is for people to
wash their hands for 20 sec-
onds. Hand sanitizer should
be used when water and
soap aren’t readily available,
officials said.
In San Francisco, a hand-
ful of people have called the
registrar’s office to ask
about the potential of con-
tracting coronavirus at
polling places, said Matthew
Selby, division manager for
the registrar’s office. People
have asked what precau-
tions are being taken and in-
quired about vote-by-mail
options, he said.
There have been more
than 120 cases of co-
ronavirus confirmed in the
U.S., and nine deaths — all in
Washington state.
In California, close to 50
cases of the virus have been
reported. Twenty-four of
those were individuals whocaught the virus either on
the Diamond Princess
cruise ship or in Wuhan,
China, where the outbreak
was first reported, and were
then repatriated to the U.S.
and quarantined at Califor-
nia military bases.
An additional 19 cases
were confirmed in returning
travelers or, in at least five
instances, people who con-
tracted the virus in their
communities.
There have been more
than 93,000 cases of co-
ronavirus and more than
3,100 reported deaths world-
wide. World Health Organi-
zation officials have de-
clined to declare the out-
break a pandemic, saying
90% of the cases have been in
China.
“I just think it’s some-
thing that we shouldn’t be
worried about right now,”
said Arais Chavez, 24, upon
casting her ballot at Rose-
mead High. “It’s a disease
that targets the elderly and
we should protect them, but
everyone else is fine.”Virus spurs vote precautions
SARAH WOODARD,center, waits to check in at the Hammer Museum polling
place. Poll workers were wiping down touch screens, a county spokesperson said.Al SeibLos Angeles TimesBy Colleen Shalby,
Soumya Karlamangla
and Andrew J. Campa
Two years ago, Xin Li, 31,
married David Liu, 29, in a
civil ceremony at the Beverly
Hills courthouse that was vi-
deo-streamed more than
6,000 miles away to her par-
ents’ hometown of Hefei,
China.
Li’s happiness was tem-
pered by a sense of melan-
choly that her mother and
father were not there.
“They were just on a
friend’s phone video-chat-
ting us and they saw the cer-
emony,” she said. “It wasn’t
the same.”
So the San Gabriel Valley
couple decided to host a sec-
ond wedding Feb. 15 for their
parents, extended family
and friends.
But in late January, the
Chinese government
started to struggle to con-
tain the outbreak of co-
ronavirus that originated in
Wuhan — a city located in
the province neighboring
the one Li’s parents called
home. Friends in China be-
gan to warn Li that her par-
ents might not be able to
stray from their home, let
alone travel to the U.S. Li’s
parents finally told her to go
ahead with the wedding
without them. The couple
decided to postpone it in-
stead.
“I feel like my dad has al-
ways looked forward to that
moment when he could walk
me down the aisle,” Li said.
The world’s attention has
been focused on the raw
numbers behind a frighten-
ing, new disease: More than
3,100 people have died as of
Tuesday, with more than
93,000 cases of the disease
reported around the world.
There have been more than
120 cases confirmed in the
U.S. Thousands of flights
have been canceled, and the
U.S. stock market has taken
a major hit, provoking fears
of a global recession. Entire
cities in China have essen-
tially been locked down.
But even in its early
stages, the coronavirus has
been a social game-changer,
upending the best-laid plans
of people around the world.
From weddings to confer-
ences to vacations to funer-
als for dear friends, the ill-
ness has disrupted life be-
yond the physical toll that it
has exacted.
“I feel a lot of anxiety
about my parents, but they
seem to be coping well,” Li
said. “I ask myself, ‘Is this al-
ready the worst case or is it
going to turn out worse?’
We’re just waiting.”
Hollywood-based hip-
hop and pop artist Andre
Xcellence believes things
will get worse.
He has purchased pro-
tective masks, hand sani-
tizers and other things to
fend off illness. And he can-
celed a Feb. 8 trip to Wash-
ington, D.C., for the funeral
of a close friend.
“We had been friends for
15 years and it hurt,” he said.
“Some people probably
thought I was crazy. But
since then, I think they’ve
seen I made the right deci-
sion. Doesn’t mean it was an
easy choice.”
He has also canceled a
birthday celebration trip to
Australia and one to Brazil,
just as that country was con-
firming its first case of co-
ronavirus.
Still, the disease has in-
spired him to write a song
about it, titled “Wu Flu Pan-
demic.” Xcellence said he’s
released the single to raise
more awareness about co-
ronavirus.
“I see my friends out
there on social media just
blissfully unaware of what’s
going on in the world,” hesaid.
On Friday, John Tyler
McClain, a 32-year-old East
Hollywood resident, was
getting ready for a flight to
Boston for a family reunion.
The trip had been in the
works for a decade, and Mc-
Clain said he hadn’t seen
some of his relatives in years.
But with only hours be-
fore his plane was scheduled
to take off, he was wavering
on whether to go.
McClain said it wasn’t so
much that he worried about
becoming ill. He just didn’t
want to be grounded 3,
miles away if an outbreak oc-
curred in Boston.
“I don’t worry about con-
tracting the coronavirus,”
the writing assistant said. “I
just get worried about being
stuck on the East Coast if
they cancel flights. Or not
being able to come back
home.”
In the end, McClain de-
cided to stay home.
Jane Shay Wald, a part-
ner emeritus of a Culver City
law firm, was excited about
attending the 142nd annual
International Trademark
Assn. meeting late April in
Singapore. For years, it has
been one of her favorite
events to attend because she
gets to see friends and peers
from around the world.
Then, on Feb. 14, the asso-ciation emailed guests. The
event would be moved from
Singapore to a still-to-be-de-
termined U.S. city in May or
June, the email said.
“This decision follows the
evolving developments, con-
tinuing uncertainty, and
global concerns regarding
the coronavirus, as well as
guidance from the Singa-
pore Ministry of Health,” the
message read.
Wald said after the
change, she heard from
many people who said they
would not make the trip to
the U.S.
“Often, this is the only
time I will see many of these
people who I have fostered
friendships that have
spanned years,” she said.
“We talk about more than
just work, but about our
families and our lives. And
now that’s not going to hap-
pen.”
For Li and Liu, who are
producers of small films,
canceling the wedding that
they expected would finally
see her father walking her
down the aisle and unite
their family was not an op-
tion. The couple decided to
postpone the ceremony un-
til August.
A White House procla-
mation issued Jan. 31
banned travel for people like
Li’s parents.
The couple had mistak-
enly believed that her par-
ents would be granted an
“immediate family” exemp-
tion.
But Li and Liu soon dis-
covered a snag in the fine
print: Her parents would
have qualified for the ex-
emption only had Li been
younger than 21 and un-
married.
“Once we read the fine
print, we were like, ‘There
goes any possibility of them
coming,’ ” Liu said.
On Feb. 4, the couple sent
an email to wedding guests
announcing the postpone-
ment. But Li’s anxiety over
her parents did not ease.
They were essentially stuck
in Hefei.
“I read so many things ev-
ery day and I was just really
worried about my parents’
health and also their mental
status,” she said. “You know
they’re confined, almost like
under a house arrest.”Times staff writer Soumya
Karlamangla contributed to
this report.Life milestones are disrupted
DAVID LIU and Xin Li postponed their wedding
after Li’s parents were prevented from leaving China.Courtesy of David Liu and Xin LiBy Andrew J. Campa