Reverend Ivan C. York

February 21, 1933 – August 9, 2021

Ivan York passed away peacefully at the home of his eldest son and wife, Vaden Scott and Blanca on August 9, 2021, at the age of 88 years. Ivan was born in Goodland, Kansas to George Earl and Calla Perna York. Ivan was the 10th of 11 children. He was raised attending church and at the age of 12, accepted the calling to spread the good news message of Jesus Christ.

He graduated a semester early from Modesto High School in 1952 and was the “Valedictorian”. He then met his future wife Virginia Mae Brown on March 22, 1952, at a church service in Grover City, CA, and were married in 1953.

Ivan attended Glad Tidings Bible Institute in Scott’s Valley between San Jose and Santa Cruz, California for two years 1953 & 1954. He then received a “Teacher’s Certification” and was then awarded a Bachelor of Theology from L.I.F.E. Bible College located in Los Angeles, CA in 1957. He further expanded his education throughout the years.

His marriage to his wife, Virginia Mae “Cookie” lasted for 61 years until her passing. Together, they built a family and a ministry. In 1970 a church ministry was started in the living room of their home and that small gathering led them to build a church in 1979 called Sonlite Tabernacle, located at 9020 Imperial Hwy. in Downey. Ivan retired from that ministry in 1997. His overall ministry spanned 70 years as pastor, evangelist, teacher, etc.

Ivan had a strong work ethic and during his ministry, he often had to obtain simultaneous employment to keep the family fed. To list a few, he worked at a paper bag company, was a salesman at a shoe store, became a real estate agent, a night janitor at Stonewood Mall, as well as a shipping dock worker at Superior Fast Freight located in Los Angeles, CA.

York has been a Downey resident since 1970, and was preceded in death by his wife, “Cookie” in 2014. He is survived by his sons, Vaden Scott York (Blanca), Nathan Todd York; daughter, Tonya Zan Fujita (Gene); two brothers, Robert York and Leland York; several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Experiencing the loss of their family Patriarch, Ivan’s children offer these simple words in reflection:

“His passing has affected me profoundly, but his life has affected me even more” – Vaden York, son.

“To know him, was to love him” – Nathan York, son.

“He loved people and he loved his family with all he had” – Tonya Fujita, daughter.