Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Page 1
Superior Court Judge Jack Morgan Dies of Cancer
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Funeral services are scheduled Friday for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jack W. Morgan, who died last Friday of prostate cancer at age 69.
“It was very sudden,” South Central District Supervising Judge John J. Cheroske said yesterday. “It was an extremely aggressive type of cancer.”
But Cheroske said “he was ready,” and “everything got in order.” He said that Morgan’s wife, Judy Morgan, is taking it as well as can be expected, adding:
“She’s a tough lady.”
Cheroske said Morgan, who was South Central’s assistant supervising judge, told him about a month ago that he had cancer, and left the bench the same day. He said Morgan was in the hospital for two weeks, and then was home for a week before he died in his sleep.
“He was my friend of 43 years,” Cheroske said. The two were law partners before becoming judges.
Cheroske called Morgan a “terrific guy” who was “well liked.” His passing is a “real tragedy,” he added.
“We didn’t just work together, we raised our kids together,” he said. “We took vacations together.”
Morgan, who was appointed to the court in 1994 by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, was born in Inglewood and graduated in 1955 from George Washington High School in Los Angeles. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1959, a law degree in 1962, and a master of laws in 1964, all from USC.
He was an associate in the Inglewood firm Cadoo & Tretheway from 1963 to 1965, when he became a partner in Cadoo, Tretheway, McGinn and Morgan, where he worked until 1982. That year he and Cheroske founded Morgan, Cheroske & Reamer in Torrance, where Morgan worked until his appointment to the bench.
He specialized in real estate law, representing real estate associations and brokers, and some buyers, sellers, and escrow companies.
In 1976 Morgan received two “Outstanding Citizen Award[s],” for his work as president of the Marina del Rey Chamber of Commerce, one from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the other from the state Legislature. He coached in the Palos Verdes Little League from 1980 to 1986, and in the Junior All-American Football League from 1981 to 1984.
In addition to his wife, Morgan is survived by two sons, James Morgan and Jeffrey Morgan.
Services are scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the Sea Coast Church, 5100 Cerritos Avenue, in Cypress.
Copyright 2006, Metropolitan News Company