Officer’s Memory Sparks a Family Affair

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Army Ranger Jon Coutchie during his military service in Afghanistan and in Laguna Beach.Photo courtesy of Luciana Coutchie.
Army Ranger Jon Coutchie during his military service in Afghanistan and in Laguna Beach.Photo courtesy of Luciana Coutchie.

On Sept. 11, 2001, as Jon Couchie watched on television as planes obliterated the Twin Towers, he bade his co-workers farewell. “I am going to join the Army,” his mother, Luciana Coutchie, of Laguna Niguel, recalled him telling her. At age 30, Couchie enlisted and two years later earned status as an elite Army Ranger. “Jon was told that feat was almost impossible to accomplish, physically, after the age of 23 or 24,” said Ms. Coutchie. “His Ranger brothers used to call him ‘Grandpa’.”

Through tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Coutchie served with bravery, fortitude, and commitment to fellow soldiers, including accompanying home the bodies of Rangers killed in action, his mother recalled.

Returning home after his deployments, he sought career advice from friend Jeffrey Calvert, who recruited Coutchie to join him on the Laguna Beach police force. “He graduated No. 1 from the police academy at age 36 and was proud to be a Laguna Beach police officer,” said Calvert.

In 2009, Coutchie joined the force. He died on-duty in a tragic traffic accident on Sept. 21, 2013.

In between the anniversary of 9/11 and Halloween, Coutchie’s favorite holiday, his life will be celebrated Sunday Sept. 20, at John’s Halloween Bash, supporting the recently established Jon Coutchie Memorial Foundation, and the CSP Laguna Youth Shelter.

With this benefit event, Ms. Coutchie along with her son’s friends and those he served with are honoring Couchie’s life, while benefiting the CSP Laguna Youth Shelter for at-risk kids. “The shelter was a cause dear to my son Jon’s heart,” says Ms. Coutchie.

Officer Jon Coutchie outside the Laguna station.Photo courtesy of Laguna Beach Police.
Officer Jon Coutchie outside the Laguna station.Photo courtesy of Laguna Beach Police.

Carol Carlson, the shelter’s program director, expressed gratitude for the event and the community involvement. “Jon’s life and career was centered on serving and protecting others. We are so blessed to have had him in our community, serving and protecting us. His spirit will live on in the work we do with the children at the CSP Youth Shelter programs.” she said.

The 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. event at Tivoli Too!, 777 Laguna Canyon Road, is intended to be fun, not sad, said Morgan Christen, a long-time friend and board member of the Coutchie Memorial Foundation. “Jon’s favorite holiday was Halloween. Every year, Jon would build a haunted house for his three godchildren and their entire neighborhood,” Christen said. “We wanted to build on that theme and make this a family fun day. Kids can come dressed in their Halloween costumes and enjoy the festivities.” The admission is $5 except for children under 12 who can attend for free.

Nearly a score of community sponsors, law enforcement organizations and local restaurants have lined up to with support. Mayor Bob Whalen is scheduled to speak at noon, followed by live bands, an array of food games and prizes, and silent and live auctions. Featured items include signed Yankees baseballs, a two-night stay at the Montage, and a Mike Trout signed jersey and seats to the Angels game Sept. 25.

Angels President and local resident John Carpino personally donated and delivered the memorabilia to Ms. Coutchie. Wanting no recognition, Carpino said in an interview that: “It is a sad story about a police officer losing his life and a mother losing her son.”

Morgan Christen, a board member of the Coutchie Memorial Foundation, speaking at his friend’s memorial service in September 2013.
Morgan Christen, a board member of the Coutchie Memorial Foundation, speaking at his friend’s memorial service in September 2013.Photo by Andrea Adelson.

Amid the fun, guests will also hear a sober note. “We plan to honor Jon’s Ranger brothers who were killed while on deployment with Jon, and also recognize the retired LBPD officers, as well as Officer Gordon French, who was killed while on duty back in 1953,” Ms. Couchie said.

The event will provide what may be needed most for those attending, an opportunity to remember their friend. “Jon and I first met while playing sports in high school and we were inseparable ever since,” said Calvert. “He was the most giving person I knew, my confidant, and his friends could always depend on him for help. No questions, no judgments.”

On a professional level, Calvert notes that: “Jon had unwavering integrity and I was told on numerous occasions that his teammates felt safe in his presence while working in Laguna. One word describes Jon: selfless.”

Perhaps the day will have the most meaning for Ms. Coutchie, who hopes it becomes an annual affair, but also because it fulfills one of her son’s tenets. “Jon asked people to ‘pay it forward’”

“My heartfelt wishes are to honor Jon’s memory and life by having a family fun filled day of celebration! In losing Jon, I feel I have lost half of my family as I have one remaining son…so I want to see families coming together enjoying the day all together,” said Ms. Coutchie.

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. I remember this guy from basic training at Ft. Sill Oklahoma. He was the oldest but one of the strongest people there. I can still here the drill sergeant: “Couchie’s thougher than woodpecker lips”. He was some kind of hero really.

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