Jeffrey E. Fortini

Our good friend Jeff Fortini passed away on January 11, 2025 after a years long fight with esophageal cancer. He was born December 20, 1954 and lived the majority of his life in the South Bay area of Southern California, most recently in the city of Hawthorne. He spent the majority of his life in public service, first in the Army and then for nearly 30 years with Homeland Security, specifically with Customs and Border Protection, where he retired in 2010. He reached the rank of Chief serving variously at LAX and in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Jeff ran for State Senator in 2011. He was married in spirit at the time of his death but had no children of his own.

Jeff was an avid golfer nicknamed the Father Rat by his buddies with the Rat Bastard Golf Club. He was a cook, a handyman, a gardener with too many plants, and a compassionate soul. He could be stern as well as being an intensely loyal friend and compatriot.

Jeff wanted his legacy of service to continue with the establishment of the Jeffrey E. Fortini Memorial Scholarship to Learn and go Forth for Service at his El Segundo High School alma mater and with a sizable donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He will be missed and remembered often.