Abraham "Howard" Laskavy

Laskavy, Abraham "Howard," a resident of Laguna Woods, passed away on September 15, 2010. He is survived by his partner and companion of 12 years, Lucy Shimon; his son, Michael (Carrie); grandson, Matthew; daughters, Rebecca Loza (Bob), and Amy Laskavy (John Piccirilli), and his sister, Naomi Camnitz and her husband Martin of Kinston, N.C. Howard was born in New York City on April 22, 1928. He was a veteran of both WWII and the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army. In 1954 he moved to Los Angeles where he met and married Miriam Baskin in 1956. Miriam passed away in 1996 after 40 years of marriage. Howard worked in the newspaper business for over 35 years as a classified advertising salesman, manager, and auto editor for the Glendale News-Press and the Los Angeles Times. He was a collector of antique automobiles and owned many vintage cars over the years. Howard was also an avid collector of antique firearms and swords, specifically Civil War era pieces. He was a staunch member and benefactor of the National Rifle Association, and belonged to numerous gun clubs including the Southern California Arms Collectors Association, the San Fernando Valley Arms Collectors Association, the San Gabriel Valley Arms Collectors, and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Howard was a member of the Orange County Civil War Round Table and a benefactor of the Civil War Preservation Trust as well as the D-Day and Civil War Museums in New Orleans. Howard met Lucy Shimon in a bereavement group after Miriam's passing, and they enjoyed many years of traveling together, including to numerous Civil War sites. He was active as a volunteer at Kaiser Permanente Hospitals for the last 13 years. His last 3 ½ years were spent living in the lovely community of Laguna Woods with Lucy. Here he was active in the Billiards Club and the Rod & Gun Club. Howard was a hardworking individual, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and companion. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues.