Old-Fashioned 4th of July to honor Les Fishman

by Chelsea Sektnan

This year’s 60th annual Palos Verdes Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration will honor the life and legacy of Les Fishman, who helped shape the event and his community for more than three decades.

The devoted 4th of July committee member and Peninsula volunteer passed away suddenly in February. In recognition of his many years of service, the committee will posthumously present him with this year’s Family Americanism Award, an honor given to individuals who exemplify community spirit and citizenship.

“Les just gave of himself to whatever he was committed to,” said his wife of 32 years, Virginia Butler. “He was always cheerful, always had a joke to put people at ease, and would help anybody in need at any time.”

Fishman joined the committee more than 30 years ago, at the request of the event’s founders,  Denise and Brian Hardwick. Over the decades, Fishman became the face of the event, serving as co-chair for many years, emceeing the program, organizing logistics, leading fundraising efforts, and doing community outreach with his signature warmth, wit, and red, white and blue shirt. His wife later joined him on the committee, and the two remained active volunteers until stepping back in recent years.

“He was already dedicated to this event when I met him,” Butler said. “We were both just grateful to live in this country and to honor the country every Fourth of July.”

Those who worked alongside Fishman say his reliability and leadership helped keep the event running smoothly year after year.

“If he saw a problem, he wanted to improve upon it,” said Devon (Hardwick) McFarland, current co-chair of the committee and daughter of the event founders. “He would dig in and roll up his sleeves. That’s just the kind of guy he was.”

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Fishman moved to the South Bay in the early 1980s and built a career in real estate. He and Butler worked side by side for more than 30 years at Coldwell Banker in Malaga Cove, where he was a top-producing broker and also a generous mentor.

In addition to his civic involvement in Palos Verdes Estates, Fishman served as president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club, chaired the board at Peninsula Heritage School, led the South Bay Association of Realtors and served on the board of the Asher Student Foundation. He also supported numerous charitable causes, including the Boys & Girls Club, the Los Angeles Mission and Rotary International. 

“Rotary’s motto is ‘Service Above Self,’ and that really describes Les,” Butler said. “Anything he joined, because he was willing to help, he ended up getting put in charge.”

That same spirit of service carried over to his decades of involvement with the Fourth of July committee.

“Les was a fixture in the community,” said McFarland, who had known Fishman since she was 13 years old. “He loved the meaning of the day and what it brought to families year after year.”

The Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration, held at Malaga Cove School, includes a kids’ bike parade, sack races, face painting, live Americana music — including a spirited performance by the Souza Palooza Marching Band — and a fiercely beloved apple pie baking competition. Open to bakers of all ages and skill levels, the contest draws repeat contenders and even generational rivalries. The grand prize? A real apple tree, donated each year by Bennett Landscape.

“It’s as American as apple pie,” Apple Pie Contest Organizer Judy Daugherty said. 

“The celebration has stayed very small-town,” Butler said. “The only thing that’s sold is hamburgers by the Boy Scouts. Everything else, the food, the games, the music, it’s all just families coming together.”

Peter McCormick, committee co-chair, said Fishman’s values aligned perfectly with the event’s spirit.

“Les was just the sort of person who gave of himself to others all his life,” McCormick said. “His passing was a big loss to everybody who knew him, and a big loss to the community.”

For many who knew him, this year’s award offers a way to honor his memory ahead of a formal celebration of life planned for later this summer.

“People have really been missing Les,” Butler said. “This will give everyone a space to honor him together.”

For longtime community member and committee member Sharon Ryan, the 4th of July celebration is a cherished tradition. Her children, Jennifer and Mike, once decorated a wagon with a handmade “No Firecrackers in PVE” sign and rode in the bike parade dressed as firecrackers themselves.

“They just enjoyed being in it so much because they knew so many of the other kids,” Ryan said. “They even shared their little award between their two bedrooms.”

This year’s Heritage of Freedom Award, given to individuals whose actions demonstrate courage and service, will go to Altadena resident Pete Villani, a cinematographer who saved nine homes during the recent wildfires. 

But for many, the heart of the event will be the community’s tribute to Les.

“He just loved being a part of something that honored the country and brought people together,” Butler said.

The 60th annual Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration takes place Thursday, July 4, at Malaga Cove School in Palos Verdes Estates. The event is free and open to the public. ER