Jon B. Riffel, a 37-year resident of Pacific Palisades who was a Southern California Gas Company public relations executive, has died at the age of 84. Riffel, who helped found the Marine Toys For Tots programs, suffered a severe stroke on August 17 and passed away a week later at Santa Monica Hospital. He was the gas company’s vice president of public relations and advertising from 1968 to his retirement in 1986. He held similar positions at Lockheed in Sunnyvale and North American Aviation in Columbus, Ohio. In 1947, he collaborated with his friend Bill Hendricks, a PR man for the Warner Bros. studio, and other Marine Corps reservists around Los Angeles to form the popular Toys For Tots holiday toy drive to benefit underprivileged children. Toys For Tots got its start when Hendricks’ wife, Diane, handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and suggested her husband donate it to an organization that would give it to a needy child for Christmas. Hendricks, however, found that there was no such agency, so with the help of Riffel and other Marines, he started Toys For Tots. They collected 5,000 toys that first year. Warner Bros. celebrities assisted the next year, when the program was expanded nationwide. Riffel served as president of the Public Relations Society of America in 1971 and helped create the Public Relations Student Society of America, which now boasts 250 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the country. He was also a longtime board member of the Museum of Science and Industry in Exposition Park. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Riffel joined the Marine Corps in 1942 after graduating from Hendrix College. He participated in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns in World War II, and was called back to active duty during the Korean War before retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He later had a brief acting career, landing a speaking roles in the movies “Battleground” and “The Monty Stratton Story.” He also had various parts in stage productions. Riffel is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marion; a daughter, Susan Graby (husband Robert) of Bellevue, Washington; sons Bran of Pacific Palisades and Jim (wife Meredith) of El Cajon; grandchildren Jennifer, Jeffrey, Susan, Laura and James; and honorary grandchildren Chris, Shannon and Gail. A private burial was held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. A memorial service will be on September 10 at 1 p.m. at Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades, 701 Palisades Dr.
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