Monday, March 28, 2005
Page 3
Services to Be Held Saturday for Judge Edward Kakita
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Services are scheduled for Saturday for retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Edward Y. Kakita, who died last week at age 64.
The services are to begin at 11 a.m. at Church of the Hills, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive.
Kakita served on the court from 1980, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, to May of 2000.
The judge served as a member of the court’s Executive Committee in 1983 and 1997. His assignments over the years included criminal court, a fast-track civil calendar, and a term as presiding judge of the Appellate Division.
He was the founding president of the Japanese American Bar Association of Greater Los Angeles in 1977. He was also the first chairman of the Minority Bar Association.
Kakita is survived by his wife, Dr. Lenore S. Kakita, and his three sons, Neil Y. Kakita of Berkeley, Garrett T. Kakita of Las Vegas, and Grant Kakita of Hermosa Beach.
The judge’s family has asked that any memorial gifts be made to the Japanese American Bar Association Scholarship Account. Gifts may be mailed to JABA Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 86812, Los Angeles, CA 90086,
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich yesterday issued the following statement:
“Judge Kakita was an active member of the La Canada-Flintridge community and a dedicated member of the Judiciary.
His greatest contribution was to aspiring attorneys as a founder and driving force behind the Japanese American Bar Association. His legacy will be the strong influence he had encouraging young lawyers to achieve their goals.
As a child, he and his family endured life at an internment camp. After the war, he went on to graduate from Dorsey High School and USC with degrees in business and finance and received his law degree from Hastings College of the Law.
We send our prayers and blessings to his wife, Dr. Lenore Kakita and their sons, Grant, Neil and Garrett.”
Copyright 2005, Metropolitan News Company