The Smiley Smile Message Board

... passed away last night. That's all I know. Didn't even know he was ill. Stunned.

I'm shocked! He seemed to be a very friendly person.

This is horrible and unexpected news....

What happened?! 

Was not expecting this :(

No idea - we talked via Facebook less than three weeks ago and he seemed fine. No mention of any illness. Damn.

I had just sent him a friend request last week. Was not expecting this at all.

Very sorry to hear this. Condolences to family and those here who knew him.

I'm also shocked and stunned!! Les was a HUGE Beach Boys fan and collector going back to the early 70's. He was also a friend of mine and a real nice guy. He put on some great Beach Boys conventions in the Bay Area back in the day, and organized various fan get-togethers at his home and at restaurants before and after Beach Boys concerts. He had a lot of friends, including members of The Beach Boys, their wives, extended families and musicians, recording engineers, and artists in the record industry. He loved to have his picture taken with celebrities! I remember when he took a nice picture of Brian Wilson and I in front of his limo in San Diego - it's hanging on my wall now. His favorite Beach Boys song was Forever and his favorite album was Sunflower. Les talked with Dennis and had his picture taken with him after one of his last concerts in Napa in 1983. I remember when he called me right after Dennis died and then he put on a special radio show for Dennis on K101 radio, playing a lot of his music and talking about facts and memories of him. He continued to play and promote Beach Boys music as a part time DJ at a famous hotel dance club in San Francisco.

My sincere condolences to his wife Wendy and his daughters. He will be sorely missed by many in the Beach Boys fan community and beyond. God bless you, Les.

Very Sad. 
Got this email from Panyiotis today, and I'm certain he won't mind my sharing it here: 

>>Sad news to those who are getting this "inpersonal" email....

Still difficult to digest.    Les Chan passed away last night (Friday Dec 14, 2012), while at a doctor's appointment to do some tests on his heart....I don't have many more details at this point.  His lovely wife Wendy called me today to tell me the news, about 15 minutes before I was planning to call Les to see if he was going to a christmas party we had both been invited to.

Many of you know Les from all the years he's been a Beach Boys' fan, to doing the Conventions he did back in the day, and to just the fact he was well known in the circle of Beach Boys Fans and Friends.  He was a dam nice guy as well.  Silly..very much the ultimate goofball, which made him so likeable...

Wendy obviously is overwhelmed.  So, please wait a day or two, should you want to call her...even though I'm sure calls would be okay.  She told me the funeral would probably be a private affair, but sometime in January she would do a Memorial Service for everyone to come and celebrate him.   She would like for many of us to sing at his service, doing of course, Beach Boys' songs....

Anyway...more details to follow.  Feel free to email with anything you would like for me to forward to Wendy and his two daughters Marissa and Sarah. << 

If you know Panyiotis, send your mails. 

RIP, Les.  In the world of Beach Boys fans, you were one of the greats.

Les was a great guy!  I'll miss him.

Terrible terrible news... 

This is devastating.  I've known Les since 1983, he was truly a good friend and a good person.  I can't imagine a world without Les in it.  This is very difficult. My heart goes out to Wendy and the girls.

I can honestly and without exaggeration say he's the reason I ended up working with the Beach Boys in the first place.  

Unfortunately, I never got to meet him...
From what I've heard and see here, he must have been a great man.
My heart goes out to the family, very unfortunate that so much pain has been present this holiday season...

So very sorry to hear this news.  Les was a great guy and a truly devoted Beach Boys fan.  It's been a number of years since I last saw him, but I have fond memories of getting together with him as well as phone calls and emails discussing the BBs, our mutual favorite album Sunflower, his recommendation of Azeka's ribs in Maui, etc.  Rest in peace, Les, and my condolences to Wendy and his daughters.

RIP Les Chan. I didn't know him personally, but he is clearly a legend in the world of the Beach Boys & fans. Condolences to the family and everyone who knew him personally.

Sad to read that another prominent figure in the circle of Beach Boys fans is gone. Although, I never knew him. I just knew of him from this board. I always debated about sending him a message, asking if he was the Les Chan from the infamous Brian Wilson tape. May he rest in peace.

I found Les to be a positive and influential person in his dealings not only with other fans, but with The Beach Boys and their families. He brought many good people closer to The Beach Boys, and for that alone, as well as his family centered way of living, he will be much missed at the Reum house, and everywhere Beach Boy music is  loved....

Never got to meet Les. I always just figured we would one day when I made it out west but it never happened. Everything I do know about him is good though and I feel really bad I wasn't in touch more than a few times. He always seemed like a great person and I hope his family and friends will get through this tough time OK. Bless you Les.

I was just exchanging messages with Les recently regarding a Wilson Phillips show he just saw.  So Sad.  He was always such an upbeat happy and devoted fan, can't believe how suddenly he is no longer with us.  Life is precious.  Sad stories like these should remind us all not to waste it, and enjoy the blessings we have.  My thoughts are with his family.  Love and Mercy to you.

Kind of a huge shock, even though I didn't know him personally but of course I heard of him and he was a very devoted fan as it seems, my condolences to his family and god bless you Les.

I'm stunned. I just talked with Les a few days ago. As always it was positive and fun. On Dennis' birthday 11 days ago he sent me a one word message...FOREVER. That both made me laugh and said it all. Typical Les. He was as true a Beach Boys fan as there is, and a sweet and gentle person. I'm happy he saw the resurgence of Brian, the release of Smile, and a worthy reunion. He left us way too soon, and will be hugely missed. My condolences to all of his friends and family.

I've never met Les, but he was one of the very first BB fans I heard mention of. God bless his family.

I can't believe this...  Les posted me birthday wishes on Facebook last week...  I had no idea that he wasn't feeling well...

While some of us could be called Beach Boys "collectors," and some of us could be called Beach Boys "scholars," and some of us could be called Beach Boys "aficianados," Les defined the term Beach Boys "fan."  For Les it wasn't about sitting in a room by himself with headphones on listening to their music; Les relished personal interaction with the Beach Boys, their families, and of course his fellow fans.  Every time I was in San Francisco Les made me feel like I was a part of his family -- picking me up at the hotel, taking me to get dim sum in Chinatown, taking me to Amoeba Records, etc., etc.  We'd go back to his house (shoes off at the front door!), where we'd sit and talk for hours, look at photos, and listen to audience recordings Les had made of a concert back in the '80s, or a video of an Al Jardine in-store appearance that Les filmed, or a tape of unreleased stuff he had acquired through trading.

The list of people to whom Les introduced me reads like a "Who's Who" of the Beach Boys world: Marilyn Wilson, Diane Rovell, Ginger Blake, Alan Boyd, Panayotis, Frank Holmes, Jon Stebbins, Mikie, Stevie Heger, J.D. Smith, Chuck Harter, the late David "Dr. Midnight" Kitagawa, etc.  And it was Les who introduced me to Rick Edgil and Phil Mast -- the original publishers of Endless Summer Quarterly -- which led to me taking over the magazine, which is now so capably run by David Beard.

My heart goes out to Wendy, Marissa, and Sarah; I know it will be a tough Christmas for them.  Les, I love you and I'll miss you...

Lee

I never had the privilege to meet him, but I could tell he had a golden soul. Eternal memory Les, and may God bless your family and grant them peace.

That's exactly how I feel. I feel priveleged to have messaged him a few times on this board.

RIP

I became Facebook friends with Les about 2 months ago. I messaged him to thank him for adding me and I asked him for some travel tips about his home town of San Fran and the PCH drive we are planning for our family holiday to the U.S next year. Not expecting much, he was kind enough to send me a wonderful reply with great ideas with more to follow. He seemed like a great guy. I'll definitely raise a glass for him when I'm in San Fran in March.

I am stunned and saddened. Les was a great guy, a friend in the Beach Boys world I first met over 20 years ago. I last saw him at Lake Tahoe on the C50 tour. The first time I met the Beach Boys, Les got me backstage. We'll miss you buddy.

damn....

R.I.P.

Update from Panayiotis: 

>>Hello Everyone---

This email is going to so many of you which I've talked to on the phone, or have emailed or have received emails from during the last few days...about Les Chan

I did want to provide a bit of an "update" with this email.

Earlier today, I took a ride over to the Chan household, along with Carl Mindling, to see Wendy and their daughters Marissa and Sarah.   Carl had told me he was planning to go the home with a homemade veggie lasagne for the Girls, and I told him that it might be a good opportunity for he and myself to talk to Wendy about all things regarding Les and his passing.

We arrived at the house, expecting to find sadness and the depression from the loss.  Yes, there is this, and there is definitely a void without Les being at the house, but we also found three beautiful and courageous women who were being strong and were so eager to tell us so many stories about so many things about Les, which Carl and myself had rarely heard about, or had forgotten over all of the years we had been friends. 

Wendy is wonderful and wanted me to thank everyone who has emailed (I will forward all of your emails to her and the girls), and went on to say how overwhelmed she and the girls are with the realization that so many of you (and so many others) loved Les so much.  The family has found so much strength in this, and to know that Les touched the lives of so many has made them very proud in this terrible time.   

Carl and I also came to find out, that Les, perhaps, thought things were "okay" with his health, in spite of his recent history of high blood pressure and chlorestral problems.  About 10 days ago, Les had gone to the emergency with Chest pains, and all the tests had come back as "negative", meaning the doctors could not see any problems.  But Les wasn't feeling well the last week, and had gone to an appointment on Friday to see a doctor face to face about his situation.  There were some tests to be done, which were going to take some time, and he told Wendy to "go home", kissed her goodbye, and would call her when the tests were done.  About 20 minutes later, Wendy received a phone call from one of the staff, asking her to come back to the Hospital.  During this 20 minutes, Les was found collapsed on the examination room floor, where an attempt was made to revive him, and then he was rushed to the ER at a nearby hospital, where a heart specialist tried to again revive him. 

For many of you who have had conversations with Les on the phone....remember how he would end the call?   "Okay..gotta go..Bye" Click    This used to drive me crazy, but it was how Les would end his call with you.  Very abruptly!!   And when I mentioned this to Wendy today, she said, "I'm glad to say, like his phone calls, Les' life ended very abruptly!" Just like Les.   

Anyway..it was clear from talking to Wendy and the girls today...they do want everyone to celebrate Les.  To remember the good things about him.  To remember how he brought so many together.  To remember he was a devoted husband and a devoted father and a devoted "all dayer" at Disneyland!!!  He also loved to engage people in conversation, everywhere he went.  Wendy told us about how every year when they would vacation in Hawaii...everyone at the shops and restaurants would remember Les, when they would return.  He was loved by so many, and as we know, he would take photos of himself with just about anyone and everyone.  He just loved the interaction with everyone!!  And lastly, before I forget, he loved the music of the Beach Boys!!

At this point, it appears Wendy is planning a private funeral and a burial service for just family members.  She wants it to be a private affair.   I told her I would put the word out to everyone I could, who might want to know.  She did say that at some point, perhaps after the Holidays, she would try to find a day to have a "Memorial Celebration" for Les...where those who could come, would be invited to celebrate Les and to spend a day with all of the friends who were part of Les' life.  So..at some point, details will follow.  So please stay tuned.  I know many of you who are in the UK have expressed trying to be here for this celebration.  As soon as I can confirm details..I will let you know, so there is plenty of time to plan and book tickets, etc.

I will also ask all of you to still feel free to email me with any questions, comments, well wishes or anything else for Wendy, Marissa and Sarah.  This is obviously an overwhelming time, and Wendy does understand how overwhelming it could be.  She's asked me to act as a contact for the time being.  Should you email me with a note or message for her...I will pass them on....and allow Wendy the option to respond or not.  Please respect the privacy of her and the girls.  I know you all understand what I mean.

And if there is anything else, I can do...please, just ask me. 

Wendy and the family also wanted to extend "Happy Holidays" to everyone as well.

Best to you all, and thanks for the love for Les and his family.

Panayiotis <<

That's awful. I only knew him on this board, and he was a sweet guy. Obviously one of the good ones. RIP.

I was sitting with my wife in the stands at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1982 waiting for the Beach Boys to come on after the Giants game.  Les walked by with a couple of friends, noticed my green BB tour jacket, introduced himself, and invited me to the first fan convention he was putting together in Oakland at the college of arts and crafts a couple of months later, which I went to and had a blast.  We talked by phone a few times, sent a few items back and forth now and again, saw each other a couple more times at his conventions or Candlestick concerts, then fell out of touch. 20 years later we re-connected when Jan Berry died, and he asked me if I still had the jacket (I do, but darn it shrunk). Hadn't talked with him for a while,and now, dang, he's gone. One of my prize possessions is a tape of some Smile and Landlocked tracks he sent me, which also includes that radio interview he did when Dennis died and some live tracks from a Lake Tahoe show, when Brian sang "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (he called it "I'm Lost Without You") in big-band style.  Simply put, Les was a great guy and it's terrible to hear of his passing.  Best to his family.

I'm reminded that Les mentioned to a news reporter at one of the conventions that Wendy was more of a Beatles fan than Beach Boys, and would sit quietly doing needlepoint (or similar, I forget) during a concert, but would always perk right up when they player "her" song!

I'm also reminded to finally get rid of the excess weight, take care of my blood pressure and beat back the cholesterol. 

You'll be missed, our friend.

And more news from Panayiotis: 

>>It's been an amazing week, of emails and phone calls, with people sharing story after story about Les and also about how he touched each one of you.   I've forwarded the emails to Wendy, Marissa and Sarah, and they're very happy to read all the nice comments, and know they are very comforting to the family.  They have also enjoyed all the comments and photos, many of you have posted on Les' Facebook page. 

But as things need to be done, Wendy has had to deal with funeral and burial services for Les this week, and as I said before, there will be a private service for family only.  I again, ask for everyone to respect the family's preference and privacy on this matter. 

With the help of Carl Mindling, there are some plans being worked out to have a "public" memorial service for everyone.  I was at the Chan Home last night for a little bit, and Wendy's talking to some facilities, about a place to hold such a service and celebration of her husband.  She had told me it should be sometime in January, as she really felt it would be better to do all of this after the Holidays, so many could be available.  She also said it would probably be done in Alameda.  Once a day is finalized and set, I will let everyone know.  So details will follow shortly.

Some of you have asked about sending cards and flowers and other things.  In lieu of flowers and gifts for the family, Wendy mentioned an organization, which was dear to Les and wanted to express, should anyone want to make a donation, in Les' name, they could do so.  Here's what she says:

<<Panayiotis, should anyone wish to donate to something--which Les cared about--a cause Les always supported which was dear to his heart is the Island Cat Resources and Adoption organization, where we adopted our cats, Sienna and Minnie.  I've enclosed the link below and there is a donation button near the top left of the home page.  Any donations made in his name will be published in their quarterly newsletter, and if people tell the ICRA the donation is for Les Chan, the girls and I will see it.   Here is the link:    http://www.icraeastbay.org/index.html   
Thanks so much for sending this out to everyone,  Wendy>>

Please feel free to look at the home page and follow the info to make a donation, in Les' name.

And again, Wendy and the girls again wanted me to express their heartfelt thanks for all of the love and support during this difficult time for them.  Please keep them and Les in your continued prayers.

Happy Holidays to everyone.

Panayiotis <<