Thomas Joseph Labonge

     Tom LaBonge was born on October 6th, 1953, the 7th of eight boys. He lived in the same zip code his whole life, proud to be an alumnus of Ivanhoe, King, Marshall, and Cal State LA.

     His spirit is too grand to condense to a few words, but most central to his person was his love for the City, its people, and the outdoors, particularly Griffith Park. Tom began his work in the public sector in 1974, serving on Mayor Tom Bradley’s youth council. He’d go on to work for the offices of Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson, Council President John Ferraro, Mayor Richard Riordan, and the Department of Water and Power. In 2001, he won a special election for Ferraro’s council seat and held office until he was termed out in 2015. Tom is survived, remembered fondly, and loved always by his wife Brigid, daughter Mary-Cate, son Charles, as well as brothers Denis, Tim, Bob, Mark, and dozens of cousins. Donations can be made to the Tom LaBonge Memorial Fund for Griffith Park through the LA Parks Foundation website.