George Handler

George Handler passed away on March first at Valle Verde Retirement Community where he had lived with his wife, Lila Trachtenberg, for the past several years.  He was 85.

George was born in the Bronx, N.Y. and moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 13.  He graduated from Fairfax High School and UCLA and earned a doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska.  For 30 years he conducted research for the Navy at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, including a year the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. and a year at the Pentagon, working with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development.  At China Lake, he enjoyed the proximity to the desert and the mountains for hiking and backpacking and family camping.

Retiring from the Department of Defense, he returned to California with Lila, whom he had met when he was at the Pentagon, he settled in Santa Barbara and worked for Raytheon in Goleta.  Retiring from Raytheon, he and Lila enjoyed extensive travel.  He became a docent at the Museum of Natural History and the Arroyo Hondo Preserve and a volunteer for the Planned Parenthood Used Book Sale.  He was an avid tennis player and a skilled bridge player.

He is survived by his son Lloyd Handler and his wife Elaine Batchlor, his daughter Laurie Hansen, stepdaughters Beth and Aimee Trachtenberg, grandchildren Haley Hansen and Adin and Julian Handler, his sister Paula Tint and his wife, Lila.