Surrounded by his loving family, Chester Irwin Lappen passed away peacefully from natural causes at his home in Pacific Palisades on December 18.’He was 91. Chester was born in 1919 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Robert and Anna Lappen.’He came to Los Angeles in 1936 to attend UCLA, where he played basketball and met his future wife, Jon Tyroler Irmas.’They dated throughout college and were married in June 1941, the year after they graduated from UCLA.’ They then moved to Boston, so that Chester could attend Harvard Law School, where his impressive achievements included serving as editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review, graduating magna cum laude and receiving the Fay Diploma, the law school’s highest honor.’ In fact, Chester’s grades at Harvard set a high-water mark that stood for many decades and led him to be interviewed on a national radio program to discuss his outstanding academic achievements. Following law school, Chester and Jon moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where Chester served as a special agent in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps during World War II. They then moved to Los Angeles and, in 1946, Chester joined the venerable law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, where his illustrious career spanned more than 60 years (he retired only a few short years ago).’ During a remarkable career, Chester served on more than 20 corporate boards (many of them for public companies) and represented major motion picture studios.’He traveled often to negotiate domestically and internationally on behalf of his clients. He also represented major actors and actresses as well as many leaders of the business world.’He truly was a titan of the legal field, gaining the respect of both the legal and business communities for his acumen and sharp business skills. An avid golfer, Chester was a member of the Riviera Country Club.’His love of golf no doubt was part of the reason why his family moved to the Riviera section of Pacific Palisades in 1953.’ Chester was proud of the fact that he’d purchased the home from novelist Thomas Mann, one of several prominent German ‘migr’s who had moved to the area in the 1930s.’Chester remained an active member at the Riviera until he died’though no longer a golfer, he enjoyed Sunday night dinners there with family and friends. One of the early members of Leo Baeck Temple, Chester worked tirelessly alongside his brother Stan and longtime friend Rabbi Leonard Beerman to develop the Temple into one of the city’s preeminent Jewish institutions.’While not a highly religious man in a formal sense, Chester was proud of his Jewish heritage and spent much time and energy participating in various research programs tracing the family’s Jewish lineage back many generations to Lithuania and Spain. Because of Chester’s love of family and togetherness, he worked with Jon’s uncle, Stanley Rosin, to build a home in Avalon on Catalina Island, where he and his family spent much quality time. Chester was proud of the house, and Jon was even more so, as her family has had a presence on Catalina since 1885. Her mother, in 1895, was the first female of European descent to be born on the island. A very generous man, Chester was a giver of both time and funds to many community and other charitable events, but for him, charity started in the home. He gave tirelessly to family members who had a business (or personal) matter to discuss with him and often provided ‘seed money’ for family ventures. Chester is survived by his wife of almost 70 years, Jon; four children: John (wife Miyuki), Tim (Gail), Andrea (David Smith) and Sally (Nik Warren); nine grandchildren: Angela Rosen (Adam), Jeremy (Kim), Amy Lappen Oliver (Neal), Jay, Tyler (Karen), Elena Lappen Smith, Dia Warren (Suresh), Caitrina Stiles (Wyeth) and Kaitlin Ty (Warren); and eight great-grandchildren: Charlotte and Matthew Rosen, Ally and Ryder Lappen, Siena and Raya Stiles, and Ranji and Akash Warren.’He is also survived by his brother, Stanley (Eleanor) and his loving niece and nephews, Rhonda Lappen (Rock), William (Robin) and David (Susan).’He was preceded in death by his sister, Norma.’ His family also gives tremendous thanks for the decades-long love and support of Mered Fissha. A memorial service for Chester will be held at Leo Baeck Temple in West Los Angeles at noon on Monday, January 3.’ Donations in his memory can be made to the Center for Childhood (CenterForChildhood.org), a charitable organization founded by Jon in 1985 to enhance the daily lives of children.
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