Thomas Oliver Daniels

THOMAS OLIVER DANIELS

July 2, 1921 - Nov. 8, 2009

Thomas Oliver Daniels, 88, died in his sleep early November 8, 2009. He was born in Brawley, California July 2, 1921 to Luanna and Thomas Daniels.
As an infant the family moved to Eagle Rock, California at which time his father joined the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. Tom graduated from Eagle Rock High School in 1939 and then enrolled at University of Montana to study forestry. He was a member of the Bear Paw Honorary Society and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
The Navy recruited him into naval flight school in 1941. He took advanced training in Kingsville, Texas where he met his future bride, Ann Marsters. After a year in the South Pacific hunting submarines, he returned to Kingsville where he and Ann were married on February 2, 1944. After duty assignments from Clearwater, Florida to Fresno, CA he was sent to Germany where he flew fighter cover for B-52s during the Berlin air lift.
He retired after twenty years in the Air Force to farm with his father in the Bonds Corner area.
Tom served eight years on the IVC board; was a past president of the Holtville Rotary and an elder in St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Holtville.
He and Ann had two sons, Thomas Olivers III and David Stephen who preceded Tom in death in 1991.
Survivors include his wife, Ann; son, Dan and wife, Paula; grandchildren, Ross Joseph Daniels, Laura and husband, Mike Boston, and Kyle and wife, Natalie and their three children, Emily Ann, Stephany and Allison; cousins, Deann Dotson, Barbara Rocomora, Judy Sancineto, and Anita LaMert.
Services for Tom will be held Thursday, November 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Holtville.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Salvation Army or to a charity of choice.