February 12, 1955 – January 1, 2026
It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Jon Morris Ichinaga. Born in Tulare, Calif. to Nancy and Fred Ichinaga, he graduated from CSU Long Beach in 1976. After earning his Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UCLA in 1978, he worked for the United Church of Christ as a legislative advocate/community organizer and later as an outpatient coordinator for the Asian American Drug Abuse Program.
Jon’s community involvement eventually led him to pursue a J.D. degree at Southwestern Law School, which he was awarded in 1988. A distinguished 30-year legal career followed. While serving as deputy attorney general and supervising deputy AG in the Calif. Department of Justice, he worked on many complex legal issues such as civil rights enforcement. He retired in 2018 as the chief counsel for the Calif. Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Jon was an avid Lakers fan and loved all things food-related. He also enjoyed genealogical research, delving into the history of his Ichinaga ancestors. He is survived by his wife, Moon; his son, Ryan; sisters, Loraine Shimada (John), Ann Gushurst (Al); nephews, Russell, Grant, Will, and Noah. He was very proud of being Ryan’s father and helped care for his parents as they aged.
In lieu of flowers or koden, donations may be made to Southwestern Law School at www.swlaw.edu/giving or donation checks may be mailed to Hawaii’s Plantation Village, 94-695 Waipahu St., Waipahu, HI 96797. A celebration of Jon’s life will be held on March 22, 11 a.m. at the Toyota Meeting Hall in the Cultural Arts Center, 3350 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA.