Jerry B. Zutavern

Jerry B. Zutavern, 77, of Ojai, died Friday, August 27, 2010, following a brief illness. He was born August 15, 1933 in Great Bend, Kansas, and had been an Ojai resident 36 years, coming from Palo Alto.

Jerry graduated from Great Bend High School in 1951 and Purdue University in 1957. He went on to a career as a contract negotiator for Lockheed Martin, and also worked at the Stanford Research Institute; he later became a massage therapist.

Jerry loved traveling. Most recently, he and his wife, Sheila, enjoyed camping in their motor home.

Jerry was greatly loved for his kind, gentle ways, keen wit and sense of humor, and will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 30 years, Sheila Popnoe Zutavern; daughters, Marlene Zutavern, of Ojai, and Victoria Zutavern, of Seattle; son and daughter-in-law, Louis Zutavern and Jordana Arkin, of Sherman Oaks; grandsons, Zac McConnell and Logan Zutavern; brother and sister-in-law, John and Martha Zutavern, of Abilene, Kansas; nieces, Ann Zutavern of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kim Klempnauer and family, of Arlington, Tex.; nephews, Devin Kampert, of Norman, Okla., and David Kampert, of Noblesville, Ind., and their families; and many other cousins in Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Erna Kampert, of Abilene, Texas.

A memorial service will be held 1:30 p.m., Saturday, October 30, 2010 at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, 250 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA 93023-2737; or the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy, P.O. Box 1284, Ventura, CA 93002.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home and Crematory, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura. Condolences may be left at www.tedmayrfuneralhome.com.