Ronald Marvin Loeb

LOEB, Ronald Marvin Ronald Marvin Loeb, 79, passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, April 14, 2012 from natural causes eight years after having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Ronald is survived by his wife of 39 years, Shirley Ross Loeb, and his five loving children - Daniel, Shulamit and Rachel from a prior marriage to Clare Spark, and Joshua and Gabriel from his current marriage. Ronald graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from UCLA and was president of his fraternity. He then served his country for two years in Korea with the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Army. When he returned, he attended Harvard Law School where he was a member of the Harvard Law Review. Ronald enjoyed a 38 year career as a corporate lawyer and partner at the firm of Irell & Manella. After retirement, he was hired by longtime client, Williams Sonoma, as General Counsel. He also served as an outside director of Mattel, Inc. for over 30 years and during one period became interim President of Mattel. A renaissance man, he sat on the Advisory Board of the public radio station, KPFK. Later he was President of the Pacific division of Outward Bound. He was an early advocate of fair working conditions for laborers in India and China and travelled to Asia on behalf of several clients. He was a member of the World Business Academy and advocated greater responsibility for outside directors in corporate governance. Ronald completed 11 marathons and was also an avid cyclist. He self-published a collection of his poems entitled "The Well." Earlier in his life he was a skilled wood craftsman and, after his diagnosis, became a sculptor working in clay. Ronald built a house for himself and his family in Big Sur which he called his "spiritual home." He enjoyed the respect and admiration of a great many friends and colleagues. His family is grateful that he spent a life well lived and he will always be a beacon of love for them. A brilliant and loving man of deep intelligence and sparkling humor, his message always was "Carpe diem." Published in the Los Angeles Times on Apr. 19, 2012