Veteran television writer Barry Blitzer, who in semi-retirement wrote a humor column and jazz reviews for the Palisadian-Post for 16 years, died on January 27 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica from complications after abdominal surgery. He was 80. Born on April 21, 1929, in New York City and raised in Washington Heights, Blitzer attended the University of Georgia after being impressed with its Grady College of Journalism. He served in the Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Germany, where he worked for Armed Forces Radio. Returning to New York, Blitzer began writing for ‘The Phil Silvers Show’ and shared a 1956 Best Comedy Writing Emmy for the episode, ‘You’ll Never Get Rich.’ He went on to gain writing credits for other hit TV comedies such as ‘Too Close for Comfort,’ ‘McHale’s Navy,’ ‘Good Times,’ ‘Gomer Pyle USMC’ and ‘Get Smart,’ for which he shared a Writers Guild Award nomination in 1968 for the episode ‘What Where Whom Am I?’ with co-writer and frequent writing partner Raymond Brenner. In addition, he was proud of his work on ‘The Jonathan Winters Show’ and ‘The Carol Burnett Show.’ Blitzer also wrote episodes of popular Hanna Barbera cartoons, including ‘The Jetsons, ‘Flintstones,’ and ‘Top Cat,’ as well as children’s programs including ‘Land of the Lost.’ The Writers Guild was close to his heart, and he actively participated in many of its events over the years. In addition, he worked for equal rights for animation writers, and was a guest lecturer at the University of Texas. Fellow writer Sam Bobrick commented of Barry: ‘His sweetness came out in his writing. He was the nicest, nicest man you could imagine, and I’m going to miss him very much. He used to say some very funny things, and somehow they always ended up in my shows. He had such a dry sense of humor, and he never tooted his own horn. I don’t know anyone who has ever said a bad thing against him’and that’s very rare in this business.’ Blitzer and his wife, Elsie, moved to Pacific Palisades in 1973, shortly after their marriage.   ’I was teaching social studies at Palisades High,’ Elsie said, ‘and that’s what brought us here. We rented a house on Charm Acres Place, a name that always amused Barry, and then bought a house on Akron.’   Winding down his television career but eager to keep writing, Blitzer began contributing his Pop Kulture column to the Post in October 1993, starting with these lines: ‘First off let me explain. I’m an irascible Senior Citizen as well as being a long-time Palisades resident and a confirmed Tri-Sexual. At this age, I’ll try anything! Furthermore, the opinions expressed in this column are strictly personal, highly prejudicial, inflammatory and do not reflect the opinion of any person living or of sound mind, including the Editor of the Palisadian-Post, about whom I have serious doubts. So readers, be tolerant and remember that you’re hearing from a borderline retiree with a cranky back and a 16-year-old daughter who thinks I belong in Jurassic Park.’   Every two or three weeks thereafter for many years, Blitzer would bring in his man-about-town column (typewritten at first until he finally broke down and bought a computer) and an occasional All That Jazz piece or theater review. He also enjoyed writing features about various residents and business owners in the Palisades and recounting the amusing moments and misfortunes that seasoned his travels.   In 1997, Blitzer created a spinoff business writing prophecies for his own line of fortune cookies (‘Yenta Blitzer’s Jewish Misfortune Cookies’) that he sold at local outlets. Sample messages: ‘Never fear success’you will not have any,’ ‘Foreign travel awaits you’you are being deported,’ and ‘For you, Passover means no promotion.’   Late in life, even when he was in pain and bed-ridden, ‘Barry never lost his sense of humor,’ said his wife. ‘One day a Medicare nurse came to draw blood. Barry was only semi-conscious, but I heard her say, ‘This won’t hurt’it will just be a prick.’ And Barry responded, ‘Did you call me a prick?’ This upset the nurse, but the caretaker and I just laughed because it was so typical Barry.’   In addition to his beloved wife, Blitzer is survived by his daughter, Amy; his sister Benita, who is a well-known biographer; his cousin Barbara Diamant, an opera singer and music therapist; and his dog, Pilet.   A Celebration of Life is planned for family and close friends; date and location to be announced. Donations may be made to The Writers Guild Foundation. Contact: (323) 782-4692, or visit: www.WGFoundation.org/donate.aspx.

Goubran (‘Gaby’) Wadih Goubran, a 31-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on Wednesday, January 27, at the age of 67. Born on February 11, 1942, in Alexandria, Egypt, Gaby graduated from the University of Alexandria with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. After working for the government for several years, he immigrated to the United States in 1969 and earned an MBA from Babson College in Boston in 1972. With an adventurous spirit, he traveled across America four times with friends, discovering his new country.   Having grown up by the seaside in Egypt, closeness to the ocean was a priority for Gaby when he and his wife, Nancy Sarkisian, moved to Pacific Palisades to begin their married life in 1978. The beautiful views of Santa Monica Bay made the decision easy, and soon Gaby was enjoying the beach and running along the coastal bike path.   A bon vivant with a great joie de vivre, Gaby lived his life fully in his native Egypt, then in the United States, and for some years in France. He worked hard, played hard and enjoyed life to the fullest. He was a devoted and loving husband and father, but also a great friend and an inspiration to anyone who came in contact with him.   Outside of his work as a business consultant and a board member of Cryo-Cell Inc., Gaby was an active member of the St. Peter & St. Paul Coptic Orthodox church in Santa Monica, which he helped establish; a former president of the Palisades Rotary Club; a four-time marathon runner (Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Paris), and above all, the source of an infectious love of life.   Gaby was officially diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the winter of 2008. He fought the disease with courage and determination, going down every avenue that offered any glimmer of hope. When hope faded, he accepted his fate with his faith as his guide. He lived the last few months of his life the way he wanted, on his terms, with an abundance of his favorite foods (including champagne and foie gras!), and family and friends by his side. He cherished the daily calls and weekly visits, trying hard to fit everyone in, responding to every voicemail and e-mail he received.   He is survived by his wife Nancy, a former fashion designer and now an accomplished oil painter, and their daughter, Alexis, a Georgetown University gradudate (2002) who has master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, and is now working at Northrop Grumman Corporation as manager of employee communications.   A memorial service was held at the St. Peter & St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Church on January 29, followed by the funeral on January 30. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the church, 1245 Fourth St., Santa Monica, 90401.

Philip Rising Peters, Jr., a former resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away in Santa Monica on January 25 after a battle with pneumonia. He was 92. Although a resident of Brentwood, he maintained a strong connection with the Palisades through St. Matthew’s Church and School, the Bel-Air Bay Club and two of his children, Patricia and Philip, who both live here.   Phil was born in Lancaster, Ohio, on March 16, 1917, followed by his fraternal twin, Henry. He also had an older sister, Mary, and a younger sister, Caroline.   The Peters and the Rising families co-owned the Fairfield National Bank in Lancaster, which had been founded in 1873 and served what at that time was a primarily agricultural town. His grandfather worked at the bank, and his father after him, although that was not the path Phil, Jr. would ultimately choose. Phil attended high school at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, where he was a pole vaulter, a diver and a member of the debate team. He graduated from Williams College in 1939.   Finding a job in that era was difficult. Probably with some assistance from his father, who at the time was president of the Ohio Bankers Association, Phil secured an entry-level position at the Central Trust Bank in Cincinnati. He lived at a bachelor rooming house and accounted for every penny in a small black book which he kept for many years to remind him of those days. He was a handsome young man and, with his engaging personality, was soon being invited to dances and getting around town.   In 1943, after he was drafted into the Army, Phil qualified for Officer Candidate School and was trained as an artillery officer. He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge with the 183rd Gun Battalion, was in charge of intelligence for the battalion and was promoted to captain.   During Phil’s bachelor days in Cincinnati, his younger sister was attending Mills College in California. On vacation, she brought her roommate, Caroline Dickason, home for a visit. Phil became captivated by this beauty from California, and he and Caroline ended up getting married in 1943 before his wartime departure for Europe.   When Phil returned from the war in Europe, he and his bride decided to remain in Los Angeles, where she had grown up and where her father, a builder, had worked developing Beverly Hills. Housing was hard to find in postwar Los Angeles. They first had an apartment in Pacific Palisades, where they joined St. Matthew’s Parish and Phil joined the Vestry. They also started a family, which with time included three children: Barbara, Patricia and Philip. They bought a lot in the Huntington, but the foggy periods didn’t agree with Caroline, so they eventually moved to Brentwood.   Given Phil’s outgoing personality, a family friend suggested the insurance business as a promising career, so Phil joined New York Life as an agent. He also began buying and selling small residential and commercial properties on the side. California was growing fast, often rewarding optimistic investors. He retired from New York Life when his health deteriorated in the early 1960s. Phil’s twin brother died from a heart attack in 1959. Phil had his first heart attack soon there#after. Treatment was very basic, consisting of bed rest and a few pills. However, Phil had both a strong spirit and emerging technology on his side. He was an early adopter of the cardiac pacemaker and (while these procedures were still new and fairly experimental) cardiac bypass surgery and then an aortic heart valve replacement in 1981. These steps more than doubled the length of his life.   As Phil bounced back physically, he redirected his energy into investments, first in the stock market, then into assembling Santa Monica real estate parcels. He would return home with stories at the dinner table about workers and prospective tenants that were as charming as Norman Rockwell paintings, colored by his Midwestern sensibilities, punctuated with a good laugh or a small life lesson. While Phil slowed down in the past few years, he never lost his zest for life. He loved interacting with people. He cared about others and remained eager to learn, taking classes in computer, Shakespeare, memory, and Greek literature. He assured his family months before his death that he was intent on learning Spanish, despite near-blindness. He treasured that energy of life and shared it with others.   Phil’s three children all attended St. Matthew’s Parish School, as did his granddaughter, Claire. He had been active on the St. Matthew’s school board during his children’s school years. He was a long-time member of the Los Angeles Country Club and the Bel-Air Bay Club.   The joy of his life was his loving wife, Caroline, who passed away in 2005. He leaves behind his two daughters, Barbara Peters of Carlsbad and Patricia Peters of Pacific Palisades; his son Philip, III (wife Agnes) of Pacific Palisades; his granddaughter, Claire Peters; and his two sisters, Mary Peters Bolton and Caroline Peters Rockwood.   A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 7, at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to either the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio (www.decartsohio.org) or Meals on Wheels West (www.mealsonwheelswest.org).

Harvey E. Pittluck, an early pioneer in the air-freight industry, passed away on January 25 at his home in Pacific Palisades after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81. Born in Flushing, New York, in 1928 to Bernice and Phillip Pittluck, he attended Cornell University and graduated from Hofstra College in Hempstead, New York with high honors in accounting. In 1953, he became a Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York and was a member of the New York State Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. Following graduation he developed a successful accounting practice while working for several airlines and air-freight forwarders. In 1961, he started Add Airfreight and served as president until 1967 when he left to form Profit By Air, Inc., which later became Profit Freight Systems. He was at the helm of Profit for over 20 years. In addition, he wrote for numerous trade publications, did consulting work for Pan American World Airways, and was president of the Air Freight Forwarders Association. For the last 15 years, Harvey was a partner and the chief financial officer for Stevens Global Logistics located in Redondo Beach. An avid tennis player and golfer, he was a past owner of the Malibu Racquet Club, and a longtime member of Riviera Country Club, where he enjoyed playing golf four to five times a week. He will be remembered for the kindness and generosity he showed to all he met, as well as being a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend and mentor to many. In addition to his wife Holly, Harvey is survived by his two sons, Lance Pittluck of Yorba Linda and Keith Pittluck of Los Angeles; his three daughters, Megan Brown of Carson City, Michigan, Alison Miller of Boulder, Colorado, and Stacy Pittluck of Rockville Centre, New York; his two step-children, Peter Monroe of Venice and Susan Chestra of Venice; 13 grandchildren; and a brother, Robert Pittluck of Green Bay, Wisconsin. One grandson, John Robert Pittluck, preceded him in death. Services were held January 31. In lieu of flowers, donations in Harvey’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of one’s choice.