I recently learned of the passing of our very own Laguna Beach legend and dear, dear personal friend, Arnold Hano. He passed around 5 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24 after being on a long downward slide, just a bit more than four months before his 100th birthday.
Arnold was to our village what Jim Dilley was to the canyon. As I understand it, they had a gentleman’s agreement that each would protect what they so loved. We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all that Arnold did over the many decades, his stewardship in fighting for what he thought would protect our Village from being over-built, championing the 36-foot height ordinance and oh so many other accomplishments, all stemming from his deep love of Laguna Beach.
If you Google his name, you will learn so much more about Arnold. The literary world knows him best for his famous baseball narrative, “A Day in the Bleachers”. There were many books, magazine articles, etc, that Arnold authored. He was so creative, engaging and mentally sharp as a tack right up to the end.
I had the great privilege of having a close and special friendship with both Arnold and Bonnie for many decades but more so in these past five years since my husband’s death. Arnold was one of the first people I met after moving back to Laguna Beach in the late 1970’s. I found Arnold to be fascinating from the start, whether talking about politics, sports, life or most anything else.
I feel a great personal loss, but our community has also lost. Few individuals with the passion, dedication and follow-through, come along in our time. Arnold Hano was one of those amazing people proving that one person can, indeed, matter greatly.
Please take a moment to tell those you care about, just how much they mean to you.
Trudy Josephson, Laguna Beach
Thank you for these touching comments about the truly admirable individual that Arnold was.