Former Manhattan Beach Mayor Dies

Former Manhattan Beach Mayor H. John (Jack) Cashin, who was involved in the planning of the Manhattan Village Shopping Center and was the son of another of the city’s mayors, died Sunday of cancer. He was 56.

Cashin was a councilman from 1974-78, serving as mayor during the last year. Since 1982 he was a professor of political science at Santa Monica City College and previously was dean of humanities for six years.

He was involved in the preliminary planning for the Manhattan Village Shopping Center, Radisson Plaza Hotel and Golf Course and adjacent homes. Before the development, the area had been used by Chevron as a tank farm.

Cashin’s father, the late Harold John Cashin, was Manhattan Beach mayor from 1940 to 1942.

Jack Cashin will be buried today at Holy Cross Cemetery after a 10 a.m. Mass at American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church.

A week before his death, Cashin had returned from a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Mary Lou, and their four children. “He always planned great vacations for us. . . and parties for our friends,” his wife said.

Cashin, a life-long Manhattan Beach resident, was city clerk from 1972 until he was elected to the council in 1974.

Although Cashin did not seek reelection after his one council term, his wife said he frequently talked about doing so. “Every time there was an election coming up, he said maybe he’d run again. . . .Then he decided he really didn’t want to,” she said.

City Manager David J. Thompson said that Cashin, as an elected official, was fiscally conservative and helped organize governmental processes.

“Jack was very concerned about the tax rate. At that time, we used to set the (property) taxes, and he thought we should reduce the taxes in the city, which we did while he was on the council,” said Thompson. Property taxes were reduced by 10.7% while Cashin was a councilman, he said.

Cashin also proposed rotating the mayoral post among council members every nine months, Thompson said--”and that stopped a lot of the political infighting that was going on.” Previously, the position was changed once a year, which meant that one of the five council members would not be mayor, he said.

Cashin also restructured the city’s boards and commissions; proposed an indexing system for council agendas, which the city still uses, and, as city clerk, developed the city’s central filing system, Thompson said.

Before his election to the city clerk’s post, he served on the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment for two years.

Cashin had overcome melanoma in his arm nine years ago, his wife said. Six months ago, he learned he had melanomas in his brain and lung, she said.

Cashin loved teaching and helping his students, his wife said. He wrote a political science text book, “Foundations of Free Choice.”

Before going to Santa Monica City College, he was a professor of political science at El Camino College, an associate dean of student activities at Golden West College, director of school relations at Loyola University and chairman of social sciences at Lawndale High School.

He graduated from USC in 1954, received a master’s degree in education from Loyola University and in political science from USC, and received a doctorate in education from USC in 1968.

He served in the Navy from 1954 to 1956.

Cashin’s “pride and joy” was the family’s 160-acre avocado ranch in Valley Center, near Escondido, Mrs. Cashin said.

In addition to his wife, Cashin is survived by a son, John Brent; three daughters, Julie, Kimberly and Linda, and his mother, Mrs. Harold J. Cashin, all of Manhattan Beach. The family asks that donations be made to the Hospice Foundation, 2601 Airport Drive, Torrance, 90505.