John Altschul, one of the founding fathers of West Hollywood, passed away peacefully at his home early Monday morning.
Altschul held the distinction of being the longest-serving Planning Commissioner in West Hollywood’s history. Initially appointed to the first Public Safety Commission by Council member John Heilman, he later served on the Planning Commission under Heilman until the election of former Council member John D’Amico.
John Altschul played a pivotal role on the Planning Commission, known for his pragmatic thinking, and his influence often shaped the outcome of every important decisions affecting the City. I had the privilege of meeting John in 1985, and we remained friends for almost 40 years. He was like a ‘papa bear’ to me, and his memories will be a blessing for the rest of my life.
The idea for a reformed temple began taking shape with his friend Jeff Carron. The first meetings to form the temple were held in John’s penthouse apartment at the Shoreham Towers, eventually becoming the Kol Ami temple.
John A. Altschul had a profound impact on West Hollywood, earning him the nickname ‘Pope’ of Weho. One of his closest friends was former City Manager Paul Arevalo, with whom he met weekly and entrusted his life and medical power of attorney.
John Altschul was also a leading supporter of the West Hollywood Housing Corporation, reflecting his core value of caring for those less fortunate than himself. He often made quiet donations to those in need askjng not to have his name used.
Among his closest friends was former Council member John D’Amico, who regularly met John at the Coffee Bean on Hancock every Saturday morning for years. They continued their weekly meetings until their last chat on this past Sunday afternoon.
Allegra Allison was another close friend to John. The queen of ‘Save Tara’ took the City of West Hollywood to the Supreme Court to stop a development on Laurel House property after the property was bequeathed to the City by Elyse Weissman. Allison won. Allison would continue a long and close relationship with Altschul speaking almost daily until his death.
Denise Eger, former Rabbi at Kol Ami, was another close friend of John’s, and he cherished her like a daughter, sharing holidays and maintaining close contact until his death.
As a testament to his enduring commitment, John served as a lifetime emeritus on the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. During his final weeks, Genevieve Morrill, President and CEO of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, visited his bedside, providing love and laughter while reminding him of all his contributions to the City of West Hollywood.
John is survived by his friend Will Bower, who lovingly took care of him and ensured his comfort until the very end.
He had numerous close friends and quietly extended help to those in the community with special needs. John’s heart was generous, and his sense of humor was incredible. A Memorial Service in his honor is being planned at the Kol Ami Temple. Details to follow.
[…] Altschul, a long term West Hollywood resident and longest serving Planning Commissioner passed away on July 31st. A Memorial service in his honor is scheduled for Sunday, October 8th and 1pm at the Kol Ami temple […]
Rest in Peace John. You helped, and were so loved by many. xo Grayson
John was my friend and neighbor for 36 years and I just spoke to him last week by phone. He had an amazing life. Rest In Peace.
I had the pleasure of dining with Mr. Altschul and a group of others just once but it remains in my memory. He seemed tough as nails, and smart as a whip. West Hollywood, and the world, lost a lion of a man.
John was a pillar of our community and will be missed. I always considered him family / a relative of sorts, since we had a family connection through marriage. We would joke about it and call each other cousin.
It would be nice if you could update this article with some coverage of his professional career as an attorney and some of the many clients he had, something he was very proud of. If I remember correctly, he was the attorney for Gucci for many years.
Yes, John’s life had many facets. There was West Hollywood, the temple, but not that many were aware of his illustrious career as an attorney and the council to Aldo Gucci. Also, during John,s time at ucla he was president of tau delta phi fraternity. John had a whole group of friends from the fraternity, I being one of them, by marriage. There is norm tucker, myself and my husband Dave and me,Carol levin, Dave Rose and his late wife Renee among others. John was known as “ uncle trouble maker” as he insisted upon buying all the teen age… Read more »
A West Hollywood Legend. I’m sorry to hear that John is no longer with us. I’m grateful I had the opportunity through out the years to have spent time with him……RIP John, a champion for West Hollywood.
Very sad news,. He was a good man and served his community well. Rest in Peace, sir.
We didn’t agree on everything, but he was a good guy. Most importantly, he told me he owed everything he learned about planning laws to the late Jeanne Dobrin. John had a great sense of humor and will be missed.
Just to clarify, was that a serious statement John made about Jeanne Dobrin?
Jeanne and John had a long term but complicated relationship of mutual admiration but they bickered incessantly and John loved to bait her at Planning Commission meetings. He refused to allow her into his car because she was known to hit him during heated exchanges but he also hosted birthday parties in Jeanne’s honor. Yet John often valued her knowledge of plan use and WeHo history and her insights into the community while she trusted him and relied on his advice, (as did many people). Both John and Jeanne have left lasting legacies to the City that most people will… Read more »
Thank you. A bit too much information regarding the physical histrionics.
Too bad this new generation of leaders doesn’t seem to follow this same dedication to others and the city. It appears to be all ME ME ME. Yes, I’m talking to you Sepi, Erickson, and Horvath.
The takeaway on this story is that theirs was an era when people paid attention and remained engaged in the betterment of West Hollywood. I don’t know if it was personal for them, but I’m sure they retained a fundamental respect for process, even while on different sides of an issue. Respect for process seems to have lost its place in West Hollywood. While the amateurs on city council are partially to blame, more responsibility is at the feet of the city manager and city attorney who not just fail to respect process and demand adherence to it, they defend… Read more »