Erman Alvin Fountain; Retired Waiter

Erman Alvin Fountain, a retired waiter at The Original Pantry Cafe in Los Angeles, has died at a Hollywood hospital. He was 75.

A longtime resident of Atwater, Fountain died Tuesday of complications of emphysema, said his son, Steve Fountain.

Born in Salem, Ark., Fountain came to California in the early 1930s and began working as a waiter at The Original Pantry Cafe in 1939. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II, achieving the rank of staff sergeant. After his discharge, Fountain returned to the restaurant, where he worked until his retirement in 1962. His photograph is displayed at the restaurant with those of other longtime employees.

Fountain is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Fountain; sons, the Rev. Timothy Fountain of Reseda and Steve Fountain of Los Angeles; daughter Katherine Rose of Anaheim; sisters Floy Mabry of Long Beach, Wilma Keating of South San Francisco and Lola Prewett of West Plains, Mo., and one granddaughter. His son, John Fountain, died in 1958.

Visitation is planned from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Forest Lawn Mortuary, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, which is handling the arrangements. A funeral, with burial to follow, is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Little Church of the Flowers at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. Donations can be made in Fountain’s name to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in care of the research department, 1545 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 34, Los Angeles 90025.