Aaron STOVITZ

STOVITZ, Aaron August 1, 1924 to January 25, 2010 Aaron H. Stovitz, who served as the head District Attorney of the trials division of Downtown Los Angeles in the mid to late 1960's, passed away on January 25, 2010 after a nearly year-long battle with leukemia. Mr. Stovitz was born in Brooklyn, New York. During the midst of World War II, in 1943, at the age of 17 he volunteered for the U.S. Air Force, joining his brothers, Captain Louis Stovitz, Lieutenant Ben Stovitz and Captain Nathan Stovitz. After training as an aerial navigator, he was assigned to a B-17 in the 15th Air Force. He flew 34 combat missions and received the DFC, the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
Mr. Stovitz moved to Los Angeles, California in 1947 and attended Southwestern Law School. He graduated in 1950, Magna Cum Laude. Aaron became a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles in February, 1952, and served in the D.A.'s office for 30 years. During that time, he served as the head of the offices of Downtown Los Angeles, Torrance and Pasadena. During his tenure as head of the trials division in Downtown L.A. in the late 1960's, he prosecuted his most famous case, the murder trial of Charles Manson and accomplices. Mr. Stovitz retired from the Deputy District Attorney's Office in August, 1981. His work ethic and enormous energy drove him out of retirement to serve as the head of the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. In the 1980's he also served as a Municipal Commissioner and a judge in small claims court. Aaron is survived by his wife of 59 years, Clara, his daughter Rhonda (her husband, Eric Steinberg, and their children Sean, Jennifer and Bradley), son Ken (his wife, Laura, and their children Anna and Jack), and son Steve (his wife, Rebecca, and their children Samuel and Noah). Services will be held at Mt. Sinai Hollywood Hills, 5950 Forest Lawn Dr., Los Angeles, on Wed., Jan. 27, 2010 at 1 p.m. Donations to: In honor of Aaron Stovitz via mail to: Leukemia Research Foundation 3520 Lake Avenue, Suite #202 Wilmette, IL 60091-1064 Or, donate online at www.leukemia-research.org