Former California Governor George Deukmejian Dies At 89

LONG BEACH, CA – Former California Gov. George Deukmejian, a two-term Republican who served in the 1980s, died today at his Long Beach home. He was 89. Deukmejian's family confirmed his death in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. Deukmejian built his career on fighting crime, the newspaper reported. He dedicated many years of his life to public service, including 16 years as a state legislator and four as state attorney general.

He was the son of Armenian immigrants and was the first person of Armenian descent to serve as a governor. A native of New York, Deukmejian parents came to the United States to escape the Armenian genocide. He earned his law degree from St. John's University, and he served as an attorney during a three-year stint in the U.S. Army.

He moved to California in 1955 after leaving the Army, and he set up a law practice in Long Beach. He eventually decided to run for public office, fueled by a passion for law enforcement and public safety. As governor, he championed prison construction and oversaw a tripling of the state's prison population.

Despite the increase in prison spending, he was credited with dramatically slashing the state's budget deficit.

Deukmejian earned the nickname "Iron Duke," a moniker given to him for his unquestioned integrity. He said he wasn't trying to be difficult, but merely trying to "stick by my position and stick by my principles," Los Angeles Times reported.

"I used my veto powers more than 4,000 times as governor," Deukmejian told the Long Beach Press-Telegram in 2011. "The Democrats dominated the Legislature, and I'd constantly use the line-item veto on spending and taxes. I'd also use the veto on bills I didn't like. Not one of my vetoes were ever overturned.

Deukmejian's longtime advisor Steven Merksamer said that for Deukmejian, public safety was part of his basic philosophy, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"The paramount reason he ran for governor in the first place was his commitment to public safety," Merksamer said in 1989, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It has been the hallmark of his whole life —much more so than taxes or other issues. It's something he has told me he was brought up with."

Deukmejian married his wife Gloria in 1957, and they had two daughters, Leslie and Andrea, and a son, George.

Former Gov. Gray Davis said in a statement posted on Twitter that he was "tremendously sad" at Deukmejian's death, saying he served the state with honor and distinction, "including signing legislation prohibiting California pensions from investing in apartheid South Africa. George's leadership moved the arch of history (and) changed the world."

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Photo: LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 02: Former California Governor George Deukmejian speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the California Science Center's World of Ecology October 2, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Deukmejian serves as chair of the board of directors of the California Science Center. The World of Ecology, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2009, will include walk-through aquariums, botanical gardens, and various interactive exhibits. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)