John Curtis (“Cactus”) Ware, a Laguna Beach native, passed away Easter weekend.
Ware had an unmistakable voice, magnetic smile, and was well-known in Laguna.
His family contributed to the original development of Laguna Beach, beginning in the early 1900s when Coast Highway was a simple dirt road.
He was one of the original lifeguards in Laguna Beach and attended Laguna Beach High School, where he excelled in football and track.
Ware was a proud property owner of local landmarks like Spigot Liquor Store and Laguna Auto Parts. He built his first home on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point in 1947, where he and Elizabeth Barnes Ware lived and raised their two sons, John Kelly and David Charles.
Ware was dedicated to our country and the community. For those who were fortunate to meet him around town or near his boat, the Swiss Navy, he would offer a beer, afternoon conversation and opinions to local fisherman and tourists alike. He was a proud chief in the Navy Seabees, a Silver Beaver and Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, a general contractor, and a beloved son, brother, friend, father, uncle, and grandfather.
Services will be held on Monday, May 2, at 1100 hours, at McCormick Mortuary, 1795 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. All are welcome. “Over.”
