Irving "Irv" Roston

1922 - 2015

Roston, Irving "Irv" 03/17/1922 ~ 03/13/2015 CARLSBAD -- Irv was born in Chicago on March 17, 1922. He lived in a one room home in the back of his parent's school supply store. At the age of 16 his family moved to Los Angeles where he attended Fairfax High School. He starred on the basketball team and was a member of the drama club. He later joined the Dukes, an all male athletic and social club. It was at a Duke's social event that he met the one and only true love of his life, Muriel Maltzman. Irv joined the Navy in WW II and when not at sea as a gunner's mate, he spent quite a bit of time in the Philippines. Irv's storytelling of his war days are legendary amongst his family and dear friends. Irv married Muriel on July 5, 1945 when on leave from the Navy after an appendectomy. Shortly after the war the Rostons opened a Curries ice-cream store at the beach in Santa Monica. They quickly realized that their future would be brighter in the family construction business. Irv along with his brother-in-law Elliott, worked for several years at W E Robertson Company building homes and apartments in Los Angeles and later commercial and government jobs in Nevada, Texas, and Kentucky. Irv later got his contractor's license and left the comfort of the family business to seek greener pastures as the general contractor for The Harold Hirsh Company in Los Angeles. It was in 1963, when Irv was sought out by former clients in Las Vegas to head up the development and construction the La Costa Resort and Spa. He remained the Director of Development and was a partner there until the resort was sold in 1987. Mr. Roston was the driving force behind the creation and implementation of the Magdalana YMCA Roof Raiser's annual fundraiser. He was the founding chairman of the event and held that position for six years. He was also a board member of the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged and was instrumental in the founding and building of Seacrest Village in Encinitas, Ca. Irv also chaired the Carlsbad citizen committee to build and develop The Crossings, Carlsbad's first and only municipal golf course. In 2007, The Roston Room was named and dedicated in his honor. He also headed the design and construction committee to develop what is now The Del Mar Country Club. Irv was a great storyteller and would do so whether he was at home with family and friends, or meeting new people during his frequent travels to Hawaii. He is survived by Muriel, his loving wife of seventy years, daughter Ellen, son Michael, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Services will be 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2015, at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego, Ca 92121.