Michael Joel Pelman

Mike Pelman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Sam and Lorraine Pelman. Sam was a pharmacist, who owned and operated a drug store in Mar Vista. Both Sam and Lorraine were active artists - Sam, a violinist and violin maker, and Lorraine an accomplished oil painter. They instilled a love of music and the arts in their sons Mike and Rich. In the early 1970s, Mike and his wife Sue moved out to Thousand Oaks, California as young education professionals. Mike was a founding teacher in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, and went on to become an educational psychologist, serving all the schools in the district for over 30 years. In that time, he helped hundreds of families by providing evaluation, counseling, and crisis response. He also earned a doctorate along the way, then became an assistant professor of educational psychology at Cal State Northridge and Cal State Channel Islands. Mike and Sue were founding members of Temple Adat Elohim, and made many lifelong friends through the synagogue. Mike played piano by ear and loved music. He was a rock and gems enthusiast, and dabbled in collectables most of his life. He and Sue spent their retirement years going between their home in Thousand Oaks, and their beloved Cambria. Mike was happiest when he was taking photos of sunsets, nature, and loved ones. He is survived by his brother Rich Pelman, of Seattle, Washington, his son Todd Pelman of Moss Beach, California, and his daughter, Amy Pelman, of Redwood City, California.