January 18, 2010 -- A memorial service for Mayor Ken Genser, who died January 9 after complications from an illness, will be held Sunday, January 25th, at 1:30 p.m. at Santa Monica High School’s Barnum Hall.

A reception will follow at the East Wing of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Genser died peacefully at Mt. Sinai Hospital with family and close friends by his side.

Genser, 59, served on the Santa Monica City Council for 21 years and had a lasting impact on the beachfront town of 88,000, especially in shaping its housing and land use policies.

Genser is survived by his mother Marcia Genser, his sister Harriet Beck and his niece Mara Beck.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made in his memory to the Ocean Park Community Center, 1453 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404-2715, (310) 264-6646.