In Memoriam
Laurence K. Brink
1928 – 2013
Once in a great while we have the privilege of working alongside a man who truly embodies the Christian ethic of a servant-leader. To his family, his friends, his employees, the faithful of his church fellowship, his Masonic brethren, and the Directors of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation with whom he served, Larry Brink will always be honored as such a man.
His life was filled with achievement and with altruism. Larry was a successful businessman who, after studying Business Administration at U.C.L.A., completed his education at California State Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, paving the way for a 45-year career in the commercial refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
Larry held prominent positions in management, sales, service and contracts for national refrigerated fixture manufacturers. He also served the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. He was Southern California chapter President in 1989/90, and was honored by the Society in 1997 with the coveted Distinguished Service Award.
A veteran who served in the National Guard in Japan and Korea during the Korean War, Larry’s community involvement began in 1950 when he became a Mason. He joined the Shrine in 1959, was designated Master of his lodge in 1971, served as President of the Al Malaikah Guard and joined the Royal Order of Jesters in 1991. He was also featured in the “Book of the Play.”
Even with all these honors, Larry would be most proud of, and most grateful for, the gifts God had given him in Carolyn, his wife of more than 50 years, his two sons and four grandsons.
In loving memory we express our deepest respect, admiration and gratitude for his unselfish devotion to LAPF and the students we serve. For this, and for a life filled with kindness, generosity, and integrity, Larry Brink will always be remembered.
Murray C. Cooke
1924 – 2014
Born in Somerville, Massachusetts,, Murray Cooke was raised in Darmouth, Nova Scotia. After high school, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and applied his specialized study, heat transfer, to an illustrious 30-year career with the Garrett Corporation as Design Engineering Specialist for aerospace heat transfer products.
Murray was a King Scout (the Canadian equivalent of Eagle Scout) and a veteran of World War II. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943-45, attained the commissioned rank of Flying Officer and was awarded the wings of Wireless Air Gunner. He saw service in Canada, England and Ireland.
Murray married Margarie D. Rose in Calgary, Alberta. They were together for more than 60 years, and were blessed with twin children, Judith and John, and two precious grandchildren.
After the War, the Cookes settled in California, where Murray began his career with Garrett Corporation, and began a lifelong commitment to community service through Masonry.
He was an active member of the Masonic fraternity for more than 55 years, being raised to Master Mason in 1952, being designated the Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons of California in 1982, and honored as the General Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons International from 1996-1999.
A member of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation for many years before becoming a Director, Murray was responsible for awarding scholarships at California Institute of Technology and Harvey Mudd College.
In loving memory we express our deepest respect, admiration and gratitude for his unselfish devotion to LAPF and to the students we serve. For this, and for a life filled with generosity and integrity, Murray Cooke will always be remembered.
K. Duane Denney
1923-2019
Duane Denney was a dedicated Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation board member who served with distinction for more than three decades.
In addition to his work with LAPF, Mr. Denney also served as Director of the Corwin D. Denney Foundation, named in honor of his brother, with whom he founded American Helicopter in 1948 in Manhattan Beach, California.
Over the next 30 years, the Denney brothers transformed their two-man company into Automation Industries, a producer and supplier of high-technology services with worldwide operations, and a workforce of more than 17,000 employees.
Over the years, Mr. Denney was actively involved in professional and community service, as a member of the Financial Executives Institute, the American Management Association, the Los Angeles Treasury Club, the Shriners, Rotary International, and the Elks Club. He expanded his lifelong passion for higher education by serving on the Board of Directors of Pepperdine University.
On the home front, he and his wife Patricia were the proud parents of two daughters, Diane and Susan, grandparents of seven, and great-grandparents of fourteen.
We send our final respects, along with our deepest affection, admiration and gratitude for his unselfish devotion to the students we serve. For this, and for a life filled with generosity and integrity, Duane Denney will always be remembered.
James A. Eddy
1930 – 2023
Like his father, Arnold Eddy, James Eddy served with distinction for several decades on the Los Angeles Philanthropic Board of Directors.
He spearheaded our work with the University of Southern California, LAPF’s first recipient school in 1951. Jim was not only a USC graduate, but came from a family that traced its Trojan lineage back to the early 1900s.
After graduating from USC, Jim served as an Officer in the United States Navy and then spent 35 years as an Executive with California Federal Savings and Loan Association, finishing his career as Regional Vice President over 28 offices.
Community service reflected Jim’s many personal interests. He was founding Treasurer of the USC Oceanographic Associates, President of the Trojan Shrine Club, President of the Ivy Glen Corporation (housing for the disabled), Director of the Royal Oaks Foundation (housing assistance for the aged) and served as President of the David X. Marks Foundation, which awards athletic-academic scholarships at USC.
Jim Eddy was also a former Commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club and Transpacific Yacht Club, and a Master Mason who served as President of the Trojan Shrine Club.
There are no words that can fully express our admiration for Jim Eddy’s life of service and his strength of character. He will remain an inspiration to everyone who was blessed to know him and work with him. He will forever have a special place in our minds and hearts.
John W. McIntyre, c.p.a.
1954 – 2022
Once in a great while we have the privilege of working alongside a man who so embodies the American character that he inspires us to elevate our sights, our sensibilities and our commitment to service.
John McIntyre was that extraordinary American: an unflinching patriot and a freethinking individualist who held himself to the highest ethical standards, and who continually tested himself, mind and body, as an athlete, mountaineer, pilot, scholar, C.P.A., and entrepreneur. Most important to John, though, was that he excelled as a loving husband and father.
John McIntyre served as President of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation and as an LAPF Board member since 1995.
A Co-Founder of Health Care Microsystems, Inc. and former Director of HMS Holdings Corp., he finished his career as Vice Chairman for Research Corporation Technologies.
He was also a Fellow and Associate Professor with the University of California, Los Angeles, and served as Chairman for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and operations and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah. He earned his C.P.A. as a management consultant in the Los Angeles office of Ernst & Whinney.
John McIntyre lived life to the fullest and his integrity, generosity and industriousness leave an indelible sense of gratitude — and a perpetual challenge — in the hearts and minds of all of us who knew and loved him.
Carl W. Minton
1928 – 2011
Past President and Director For Life of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation, Carl Minton was a true pillar of LAPF leadership for more than three decades, and a true friend to all who knew and loved him.
A celebrated Los Angeles attorney and Founding Partner of Minton, Minton and Rand, Carl generously donated his professional expertise to the LAPF Board of Directors throughout his years of service. He wrote formal communications for the Foundation, advised on issues of planned giving to the Angeles Fund, served as a speaker and host at our Outstanding American Award Dinners, and personally awarded LAPF scholarships to students at California Institute of Technology and Pepperdine University.
Carl was active throughout the Southern California community. He was past Master of the San Marino Masonic Lodge No. 685 and Ritual Director of the Al Malaikah Shrine and Los Angeles Court No. 84 Royal Order of Jesters. He was also a longtime member of the Rotary Club of San Marino, the Jonathan Club and Toastmasters.
He served with distinction in the U.S. Army as a Cryptographer during World War II, and then as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He graduated from Stanford University in 1949, and subsequently earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California, leading to an illustrious career in probate, estate planning, and business law.
Carl was a sought-after public speaker, and a gifted storyteller who entertained family and friends with tales of his boyhood adventures and wartime experiences.
With Nancy, his wife of 54 years, Carl raised three children, and his eight grandchildren were the pride and joy of his later life.
We send our final respects, along with our deepest affection, admiration and gratitude for his unselfish devotion to the students we serve. For this, and for a life filled with generosity and integrity, Carl Minton will always be remembered.
Bedia Eloise Nassour
1908 – 2009
For more than half a century, Bedia “Bee” Nassour was the heart and soul of The Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation, tirelessly devoted to the vision she shared with her husband, LAPF Co-Founder Willam E. Nassour.
Their vision was to enrich the culture of Southern California by continually nurturing the next generation of leaders. Their LAPF scholarship program identified young men and women of exceptional promise and gave them the ability to afford the unique mentoring experience of a private university education regardless of background or financial circumstance.
Five decades later the vision has grown to encompass more than seventy students in 10 colleges and universities. And more than any single person in our history, Bee was the catalyst for that growth. Her intelligence, grace and organizational savvy helped to increase our visibility in the Los Angeles community and build ongoing support for our Angeles Fund Scholarship Endowment. Today, the virtues of her vision are clearer, and the success of her pioneering efforts more evident, than ever.
Bee was, of course, an exceptional success story herself. In the early 1930’s, when higher education was still a “man’s world,” she resolutely pursued her own dream, earning a Baccalaureate degree from the University of Redlands and a Master’s degree from Columbia University.
Bee was also the first woman ever appointed to the LAPF Board of Directors, the first female recipient of the coveted Outstanding American Award, and will be forevermore the First Lady of The Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation.
A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, an unflinching patriot and a woman of faith, hers was a life that will continue to inspire us all in the values of God, Family, Country, and Community. Hers was a luminous life that will “light the path” for generations to come.
Timothy J. Parker
1943 – 2018
Every Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation Board member considers it a privilege and a pleasure to have worked alongside Tim Parker. He brought an extraordinary intellect and corporate acumen to bear as he guided LAPF as our President for two terms.
Most of all, though, he will be remembered for his generous heart and gentlemanly comportment; a man who lived out his Catholic faith every day of his life and cared deeply for the students in our scholarship program.
A summa cum laude graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Tim Parker served in top management positions for some of America’s most renowned blue chip companies, including Kaiser Aluminum and Martin Marietta Corporation.
For the past twenty-five years of his career he specialized in expanding sales and marketing operations in maritime industries, as Vice President of Metropolitan Stevedore Company, and as a Consultant to the Port of Los Angeles, the seventh largest container traffic port in the world. Tim advised on all aspects of marketing, customer service, and public relations.
Tim Parker was an LAPF Board member for nearly two decades, served as LAPF President, and served on the board of the Kaiser Retirement Association and several religious charities.
Above all, he was a devoted family man to his wife, Linda, his children and five grandsons.
In loving memory of him we express our deepest respect and gratitude. For a life filled with generosity and integrity, Tim will always be remembered.
John W. Plumb
1945 – 2020
A Director For Life, John Plumb served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation for more than two decades.
A Southern California native, Mr. Plumb earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from California Western University in San Diego. After graduate studies he began a 22-year career as a Teacher, Coach and Athletic Director.
He then established a second career in finance, serving as a Business Development Consultant for American Pacific State Bank.
John Plumb had long been active in the community as a Mason. He was a member of the Shrine and the Royal Order of Jesters, and served on the National Endowment Committee of the Shriners of North America. Mr. Plumb was also a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
An outstanding Director, skilled at communicating our mission to the Los Angeles community, John Plumb’s legacy of service will remain an inspiration to every Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation Board member, present and future.
George Thompson
1930 – 2021
A past President and Vice President of the Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation, George Thompson served on our Board of Directors for more than two decades.
Born and raised in New York City, the son of Irish immigrants, George seized an opportunity and worked his way up in the General Foods Corporation during the 1960s, the pioneering days of convenience foods. George received a transfer to Miami, Florida, where he then finished his schooling, graduating from the University of Miami in 1956.
While in College, George was introduced to community service through his affiliation with the Masonic fraternity on campus. He became a Shriner, was later inducted into the Royal Order of Jesters, and remains an active Mason to this day. His history of service is also evidenced in his membership in the venerable Sovereign Military Order of Knights Templar.
After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, George joined the Jonathan Club. He served as Secretary before becoming its President in 1988. He was a leader so admired, the terrace at the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was named, in his honor, The Thompson Terrace.
George Thompson embodied the personal integrity, sense of fraternity and generosity of spirit that is emblematic of the best in the American character. He lived life to the fullest for all of his 91 years. and leaves an indelible sense of gratitude in the hearts and minds of all of us who knew and loved him.