Longtime Rossmoor Public Servant, Joel Rattner, Dies

ROSSMOOR, CA —Former Rossmoor Community Services District board member Joel Rattner died on April 25.

Joel Rattner loved Rossmoor and always insisted on its proper address with the post office, a community services district spokesperson said. He was a valued member of our community who will be dearly missed.

He was married to his wife, Nina, for 55 years. They made their home in Rossmoor for 53 years, where they raised two daughters, Beth and Debra. Joel also enjoyed time with his two granddaughters.

Joel was a supportive husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to many.

He graduated from NYU College of Engineering with a B.I.E. degree and completed an MBA degree at USC’s Graduate School of Business Administration. He then went to law school at night when his daughters were young and became a practicing attorney.

Earlier in his career he worked as an industrial engineer and then systems manager for Kaiser Hospitals, but his favorite job was any form of home repair.

Among his friends were those he spent time with while serving on the community services district board. Current Board president Michael Maynard discussed Rattner and what he meant to the organization.

“Joel brought energy and passion in serving the community of Rossmoor. This is a sad loss for Rossmoor,” Maynard said.

Board Vice President Mark Nitikman had the privilege of serving on the board during Rattner’s years of service.

"Joel cared deeply about serving the Rossmoor community, as he repeatedly demonstrated in his untiring dedication to working through issues that came before the Board," Nitikman said.

Director Rattner served on the Rossmoor Community Services District Board from 2005 to 2010. Joel continued to serve the community as a member of the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District of Orange County Board of Directors since 2010.

Sewer District General Manager Susan Bell discussed Rattner's work with the district.

"The Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District welcomed Director Rattner to our Board in 2010," she said. "He brought so much insight and knowledge with him to our District. It was a pleasure to have him part of our family here at the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District for the past 10 years. We were saddened by the news of his passing. He will be forever missed. The Board of Directors and I would like to extend our sincerest condolences to Mrs. Rattner and her family on the loss of Joel Rattner."

Former Sewer District Engineer Harvey Gobas remembers Joel "for his encyclopedic knowledge of
local businesses and business owners."