James D. Aljian, a longtime Tracinda Corporation executive and former senior vice president of finance for MGM Studios and MGM/UA Entertainment, passed away April 12, 2007. He was 75. Jim lived in Marina del Rey, Calif., and was a close associate and friend of MGM MIRAGE majority shareholder Kirk Kerkorian and a member of the Board of Directors of MGM MIRAGE since 1988. He was also a member of the International Leisure Corporation team that developed numerous major Las Vegas resorts, including Caesars Palace, the Flamingo Hotel, the International Hotel (now the Hilton) and the original MGM Grand Hotel (now Bally's). At the time of his passing, he was an executive for Tracinda Corporation and chairman of the Lincy Foundation, a charitable organization that supports numerous causes internationally. Jim previously served on the boards of Western Airlines, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., Southwest Leasing, MGM Grand Hotel, MGM Studios, MGM/UA Entertainment, Chrysler Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG. For more than 30 years, Jim served as a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
He was born in Oakland, Calif., and attended Oakland High School. He held a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in business administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He was licensed as a certified public accountant and was a member of the American Institute of CPAs.
Jim was a true lover of nature and the outdoors. Many of his happiest times were spent deep-sea fishing with friends off the coast of California and Mexico or working in the orange grove at his ranch in North San Diego County. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marjorie; his sister, Nancy Ashe; brother, William Peter Aljian; children, Mark Aljian, Anne Trinklein, and Reed Aljian; and six grandchildren.
Services will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 505 N. Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The UCLA Foundation for the James Aljian Memorial Fund at the David Geffen School of Medicine, 10945 Le Conte Ave., Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
