Thursday, October 9, 2014
Page 3
Retired Los Angeles Commissioner Edward H. Drayer Dies at 69
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Retired Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Edward H. Drayer has died.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Cerritos News both reported that Drayer, 69, died last Friday after suffering a massive heart attack.
Drayer retired from the court in January 2010.
A Bellflower native, Drayer served on the Bellflower City Council from 1978 to 1980 and then as mayor for the following two years. He attended Bellflower High School and then graduated from Cerritos College and California State University, Long Beach before receiving his law degree from Western State University College of Law in 1973.
Drayer began his legal career as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney that year, and served until he entered private practice with the law firm of McKenzie & Drayer in Bellflower in 1977. He entered solo practice in 1982, and after 14 years of practice was appointed a commissioner of the Los Cerritos Municipal Court.
He became a Superior Court commissioner through unification in 2000, continuing to handle the civil and traffic calendars for many years. He also taught at Cerritos College.
His oldest child, Cerritos College Trustee John Paul Drayer, told Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper that heart disease has been pronounced in his family’s medical history.
“When he was 7 years old my grandparents moved the family to Bellflower to start several businesses,” the younger Drayer said. “He married my mom Julie in 1961, and I was born in 1962.”
Besides John Paul Drayer, survivors include his second wife, Cuqui Maria Drayer, daughters Melissa Drayer Petersen, Amy Drayer, and Rhonda Vowell, son Raul Gamez, and 11 grandchildren, the newspapers reported.
The family suggested that any memorial donations be sent to the American Heart Association.
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