Gerald C. Lafferty; Former City Planning Chief

Gerald C. Lafferty of Ventura, who served as planning director for the city of Ventura in the 1960s, died Friday in a local hospital after a brief illness. He was 70.

Lafferty was born Jan. 17, 1926, in Dupree, S.D. He was a member of the Two Kettle Indian tribe, which is now known as the Cheyenne Rivers Sioux tribe, said his wife, Mary A. Lafferty, 66.

Lafferty served in the Navy during World War II.

He relocated to Madison, Wis., where he was educated in civic planning. He moved about 80 miles to Milwaukee, where in 1951 he met the woman who became his wife.

“We only knew each other three months before we got married,” Mary Lafferty said.

The couple moved to Ventura in 1962 after Lafferty was hired to work in the Ventura County Planning Department. A year later, he was hired by the city of Ventura to lead its Planning Department.

“The planning director of Ventura resigned, and Gerry applied for the job and he was selected,” his wife said. He held the position until 1970.

The couple moved to Lafferty’s home state in 1971 after he was hired as the Rapid City planning director. In 1973, they moved to Pierre, S.D., and Lafferty became the planning director for the United Sioux Tribes, where he oversaw nine reservations.

After two years on the job, funding was cut and Lafferty lost his job, his wife said. Their next stop was in Clovis, near Fresno, where Lafferty was hired as city planning director.

“We also owned a beer bar and served the best hamburgers in town,” Mary Lafferty said.

When their lease ran out in 1981, they returned to Ventura and purchased Warren’s Restaurant at 478 E. Main St.

“That was almost a 24-hour job,” Mary Lafferty said. They sold the restaurant in October 1985. The site is now occupied by the Busy Bee Cafe.

After selling the restaurant, Mary Lafferty put her skills to work for the local housing authority while her husband got a job as an estimator for C-Breeze Moving & Storage.

Lafferty was on disability leave at the time of his death.

In addition to his wife, Lafferty is survived by a daughter, Lynn Lafferty of Batesland, S.D.; a sister, Maye Ronshaugen of Cornwall, Conn.; and a grandson.

Memorial services will be held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura. Burial will be at Sturgis National Cemetery in Sturgis, S.D.