Was survived by sons, Sam, Julian and Silas; a daughter, Sarah Bjorg; two brothers, Van and Clint; and three grandchildren.
Instrumental in saving the Watts Towers in the late 1950s. He and William Cartwright purchased the property the towers were on in 1958. The Watts Towers are now a National Historic Monument. They were built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia, who died in 1965.