Fundraiser in Officer Coutchie’s honor: ‘Today is all about Jon’

It looked like your typical Halloween party. Cobwebs and pumpkins adorned the restaurant Tivoli Too in Laguna Beach, and guests were encouraged to attend in costume.

But though a festive scene it was, the somber reason for the gathering was not far from anyone’s mind. It was a fundraiser in honor of Laguna police Officer Jon Coutchie, who died two years ago while responding on-duty to a report of a speeding motorist.

Halloween was his favorite holiday.

Coutchie’s mother, Luciana, began trying to put together a 5K run last year but decided instead to celebrate her son’s life with a Halloween-themed family-fun day.

Every year, Coutchie would construct a haunted house for his three godchildren and the kids in the neighborhood. When he died, Luciana found a blueprint of the haunted house he was working on for that year’s event. She used his own props and figures to decorate Tivoli Too.

She also hung up a poster with images of fallen Army Ranger comrades Coutchie had befriended on his tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I wanted families and kids to be together in a day of celebration,” said Luciana Coutchie, who wore a T-shirt reading, “Jon’s Mom.” “It’s a wonderful place to spend time with role models.”

More than 400 Orange County law enforcement, firefighters and local community members gathered Sunday for the Jon Coutchie Memorial Day of Celebration, a fundraiser to benefit Community Service Programs’ Laguna Beach Youth Shelter. The shelter provides at-risk youths a place to stay while offering emergency crisis and intervention programs.

Those who knew Coutchie said he was a proud cop, a dedicated family man and an inspiring mentor, taming rambunctious youths with the power of a good example.

“Jon would be very happy to see the goodness being done in his name,” said Coutchie’s father, Robert. “He was very concerned about children.”

Coutchie was 41 when he died Sept. 21, 2013, while he was traveling north on Coast Highway to locate a vehicle that had eluded another officer. While looking for the speeding vehicle, he collided with a pickup truck at Cleo Street. His was the department’s first on-duty death since 1953.

Lt. Jeff Calvert knew Coutchie since high school, and the two friends were hired by the Laguna Beach Police Department at the same time.

“He was one of the most giving people and kindest human beings you would ever meet,” Calvert said. “He had a tough exterior but a soft heart.”

Family friends from Tucson, Ariz., Oklahoma City and South Carolina flew in to attend the event.

It was support from the community, Luciana said, that helped make the event possible.

Ivan Spiers, owner of Mozambique steakhouse in Laguna Beach, donated food and T-shirts to the event.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim President John Carpino made a surprise visit to the house Jon and his mother rented in Dana Point, and brought a Mike Trout-autographed jersey and tickets for the Angels-Mariners game Friday.

Jennifer Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees sent eight autographed baseballs.

Photographer Henry Diltz, who snapped portraits of musicians from Dolly Parton to James Taylor, donated three autographed photos.

“I was blown away,” Luciana said.

The merchandise sales from the event will benefit the Laguna Beach Police Department Honor Guard. Additional proceeds will go to the youth shelter.

The six-bed shelter has served 3,850 at-risk youth and over 10,000 of their family members since opening in 1979.

Carol Carlson, shelter director, said Luciana approached her and said she wanted the fundraiser’s proceeds to support the youth shelter.

“When she showed up, we were busting at the seams and she asked what she could do,” said Carlson, who explained that the donation will help as Community Service Programs works toward opening another residence. “This has been a really great gift to us to expand our services.”

Carlson said Carpino attended the Sunday event and hand-delivered a $1,000 donation to the youth shelter on behalf of the Angels.

Helping struggling Orange County children and their families was Coutchie’s passion, his family and friends said. The event raised more than $15,000 to benefit the Youth Shelter.

“Today is all about Jon,” Luciana said. “He didn’t like any attention, and I’m sure right now he’d say, ‘Mom!’ but he had a lot of people who loved him.”