Estes Proffer

Estes Ellis Proffer, 92, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., died Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004.

He was born Aug. 13, 1912, in Cotton Plant, Ark., son of Willis Lawrence and Bird Estes Proffer of Cape Girardeau.

Mr. Proffer graduated from Central High School in Cape Girardeau in 1930.

He joined the 140th Infantry Regiment of the Missouri National Guard in 1940 as a second lieutenant. During World War II he commanded coastal defense units for San Diego and later Central California. From 1945 to 1947 he led the Allied Occupation government for Kyoto, Japan.

As a captain, he was wounded in action in North Korea and received a Purple Heart. After the Korean War he was assigned to the Air Force Special Weapons Project at the Nevada Test Site. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army at Fort Riley, Kan.

Mr. Proffer earned his bachelor of business administration from the University of Alaska in 1958, and his master's of business administration from UCLA in 1962.

He was a professor of business administration at Barstow Community College, East Los Angeles Community College and Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., before retiring from teaching in 1982.

Mr. Proffer was accepted into law school in 1982 at age 70. He spent his retirement years continuing his love of learning, traveling Asia, America, and gardening in Thousand Oaks.

A military memorial service is planned at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.

The Neptune Society in El Cajon, Calif., was in charge of arrangements.