Lan O'Kun

1932 - 2020

Lan O'Kun, 87, of Malibu California passed away at home, of heart failure surrounded by his wife of 60 years, Barbara O'kun and his loving family. Composer, writer lyricist, performer, storyteller, pianist and raconteur.

Born January 13, 1932 in New York City, the only child of Sydney (Syd) and Helen O'Kun, Lan O'Kun took up piano at an early age and used it successfully throughout a multi-faceted show business career.

He began playing the piano at age 7, and later enrolled in New York's High School of Music and Art. He graduated from Syracuse University in New York and wrote a number of their Variety Shows.

In his fifty-year career he wrote scripts for "The New Twilight Zone," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "The Love Boat," "Highway to Heaven," "Apple's Way," "That Was the Week That Was," and many episodes of the award-winning "Insight" anthology series. His Hallmark Hall of Fame special "The Littlest Angel" is regarded as a TV classic, as is his children's series, "Tales of the Riverbank" a much beloved British TV show, as well as writing the book, lyrics, music and producing "The Juggler of Notre Dame", for which he won an Emmy. For many years he was Musical Director at NBC television.

O'Kun's longest-running collaboration, however, was with performer-ventriloquist Shari Lewis. Lanny was Ms. Lewis's brother-in-law, having married her younger sister, Barbara, in 1960.

He and Shari had a 44-year creative partnership during which he wrote hundreds of scripts, songs, and commercials for her various shows and special appearances. Their collaboration defined the popular puppets Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy and resulted in numerous Emmy, Peabody, and other prestigious awards.

After Shari's passing he continued to write and work with her daughter (his niece) Mallory Lewis and because of Lan, Lamb Chop lived on, for which Lamb Chop is eternally thankful.

Other high-profile artists with whom O'Kun worked include Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Duke Ellington, and Peggy Lee as well as the guests who appeared on various Shari Lewis shows, including Martin Sheen, Dom DeLuise, Ossie Davis, Jerry Orbach, Fred Gwynne, and others.

He wrote the Broadway musicals "Coming of Age" with lyricist Sammy Cahn, as well as the Broadway show, "Pickwick". Other endeavors include events and programming for the New York and Canadian World's Fairs, the animated feature "Puss 'n' Boots," and children's books and videos in partnership with Shari Lewis.

In later years he wrote and narrated audiobooks of short fantasy stories including "The Dragons of Broad Swatch" and countless poems and other bits of whimsy. He was not only a popular singer-performer in area resorts but also at Hollywood celebrity social occasions.

Lanny had a story a song a joke a rhyme for every occasion, and if the appropriate bon mot hadn't been written yet… well then write it he would, and all around him would applaud.

Mr. O'Kun is survived by his wife, Barbara O'Kun; niece Mallory Lewis and grand-nephew Jamie Hood, and a very large very loving extended family.The O'Kuns' son, Shawn, predeceased his father in 2017.