Former Fresno County Supervisor Stan Oken has passed away at the age of 97.
He passed away peacefully in Clovis on Feb. 16, surrounded by his family.
Born in 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, Oken served in the U.S. Army in World War II. After the war, Oken attended UCLA and went on to become a teacher and coach at the high school and junior college levels for nearly two decades in the Los Angeles area.
Oken became involved in the Central Valley when he co-founded a children’s camp in Three Rivers in 1967. He went on to buy out his partners and relocate the River Way Ranch Camp in 1973 to the Wonder Valley Dude Ranch in Fresno County.
He also established the Wonder Valley Resort and Conference Center.
In 1991, Oken won a special election to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, where he served until 2000.
Throughout his life, Oken received many accolades recognizes his impact on the community, including the Leon S. Peters Award, the Central California Business Award, the Legacy Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Oken is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
