John William O'Donnell passed away on February 6, 2019, in Los Angeles, Calif., at the age of 80. He was born in New Haven, Conn., on February 11, 1938. John is survived by his loving wife, Martha (nee Morris); his daughter, Karen, and her husband, Mark Stein; his son. Nicholas. and his wife, Brenda Rose; and grandchildren Madeleine, Nathan, Cale, and Ellis. He was predeceased by his sister, Anne O’Donnell, and his parents, Madeleine and Charles O’Donnell.
John grew up in New England and graduated from Manhasset High School in New York. He attended Yale University for two years and later completed his bachelor’s degree at Long Beach State University in 1966. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from UCLA Law School in 1970. After passing the bar, he worked in South El Monte City Hall as Assistant City Attorney and then went into practice with with partner Paul Gray. He later established his own law office in South El Monte. He was a longtime member of the local Rotary Club chapter and served on the South El Monte business council.
John served in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s and was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, where he met his future wife, Martha, who was working for the Army as a civilian. They married in 1965 and made Los Angeles their home. He lived in the city for the rest of his life.
He loved reading, music, cooking, travel, and Los Angeles architecture and history, and served as a poll volunteer for many local and federal elections. Always ready with an opinion about current events, politics, and local history, he wrote many letters to the editor of the Los Angeles Times, several of which were published.
Travel was a lifelong passion for John. After finishing his tour in the U.S. Army, he went on a year-long tour of Europe, visiting as many countries as he could, including Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. He returned to Europe with his wife and three-year-old daughter in 1970 for another months-long adventure, traveling in their Volkswagen camper van with an itinerary that included England, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia, and more.
An avid reader, John consumed mystery, law, and crime novels by a wide range of authors, including John Mortimer, Michael Connelly, Cornelius Ryan, and many others. He was fascinated by history, with a particular interest in World War II, California history, and many other topics.
A funeral mass will be held Saturday, February 23 at 11am at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community, 10750 Ohio Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif.
A visitation was held on Friday, February 22, 12 noon to 2pm, with a blessing at 1pm, at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary, 1218 Glendon Ave, Los Angeles, Calif.
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