Rotary Remembers

Past President Jack L. Siegal

Jack passed away on  July 16, 2004.  His funeral service is scheduled for 10 am, Tuesday, July 20, 2004 at Hillside Memorial Park Mortuary.  Let's all make every effort to attend. 

1st Hillside Memorial Park & Mortuary
6001 W Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90045

You could hear Jack Siegal on Korean radio once an hour, all day long. He used to broadcast hourly station breaks in English for KFOX and KREA, the Korean language programmed FM stations he owned in Los Angeles with his partners, Jae and Warren Chang. (They named their firm Chagal, from the first three letters of Chang, and the last three letters of Siegal). 

Jack’s friendly velvet voice has been heard widely for over 59 years since he started in Philadelphia as a college-boy disk jockey and announcer. When he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania he volunteered for the Navy in the belief that he’d soon help to fight the USSR. Instead he landed with the Marines as a combat correspondent, covering Navy and Marine engagements in the Korean War. Afterward he roamed widely as a reporter and director for Ed Murrow’s “See It Now” program, and doing TV news features for Time and Life Magazines, which indirectly led him to the altar. 

After one dash to London to do a Time-Life TV interview with General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, Britain’s old time war hero, Jack stopped off in New York overnight, and a friend took him to a party given by two Columbia University graduate students. One was named Janet Cohn. Jack was smitten. He stayed over to date her. Ten months later they married.

Jack decided he didn’t want to earn his living talking. He’d rather run stations. So he scraped up savings, persuaded friends to invest with him, and established a broadcast group in Vermont which was also able to cover the rich Montreal market. This venture was hit hard when the Canadian government forbade the carriage of new U.S. stations on Canadian cable systems. Jack sold out and moved to Los Angeles in 1970. 

He put KJOI on the air, and then KLVE, and then proceeded on to several other local stations, including KSRF. All were FM stations, although AM broadcasts were dominant in the early days. He helped convert millions of Los Angeles listeners to FM. 

As a businessman Jack tried to produce what the market wanted and needed. He saw a need for Korean-language radio in Los Angeles. The half-million Koreans here were almost ignored among the thirteen million residents of Los Angeles. Jack had a warm spot in his heart for Koreans because of wartime service among them. So he kept looking for ways to connect with them. 

In 1991 he met the Korean publisher of The Korea Times. Through him he formed friendships with other Korean business people. Eventually they decided to invest together. The Chagal Companies resulted. 

Jack always awoke at 4:30 in his condominium on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, worked out in an exercise room or at the Palisades High track, and was usually in his office by 7:15. At 3 he was usually home for paperwork and phoning members on Rotary business, plus some work with other organizations. 

Jack served as our Rotary President for 1999/2000, he is survived by his wife Janet and four children. We will all miss you Jack. Our condolences go out to Janet, his children, and other family and friends.

.....Keith Monroe

“Soft & safe to thee Jack, be thy resting place Bright and glorious be thy rising from it” 

We will miss you Jack, Farewell, dear friend, farewell. 

On behalf of your Rotarian Family, 

Lionel Ruhman, President and June Doy Executive Secretary

"Jack Siegal was a man of substance, honor and grace.  He was always there for you.  He will be missed by all, but especially by me."

Hal Quigley, PP

"Jack always had a way of making you feel like a million bucks. We will miss our Rotary good buddy."

Larry and Brenda Maher 

"I am so sad that we will no longer be graced with his joy, his charm, his gentle, caring demeanor. This is a tremendous loss for all of us."

Iao Katagiri

To The Members of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica,

Nancy and I send our sympathies on the passing of a fine Rotarian. We are currently in Pennsylvania and will not return to CA for a few days. Our
thoughts are with you and with Jack's family.

Your Friend in Rotary Service,
John Nugent

Jack was a leader and an icon of our club. No matter what function we had, Jack was there. We searched our files and found a few past pictures of Jack shown having fun and helping our club and our community.

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