Dionicio Daniel "Danny" Cruz

1944 - 2023

Dionicio Daniel "Danny" Cruz
August 4, 1944 - August 4, 2023
Modesto, California - A native son of California's San Joaquin Valley, born in French Camp, he was 1 of 13 children to immigrant parents. Growing up, Dionicio helped his father work in the agricultural fields with his siblings and later worked at Spreckels Sugar before graduating from Manteca High (a VERY proud Buffalo), Modesto Junior College (MJC) and San Francisco State.
Like all of his brothers (3) before him, he served his country in the military. In the Army, after completing training at Ft. Lewis, Washington, he was selected to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Ft. Benning, Georgia and became an infantry lieutenant as part of Military Assistance Command -Vietnam (MACV) commanding his U.S. soldiers as well as hundreds of indigenous soldiers known as "Montagnards". He earned the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman's Badge (CIB) (among others), and received a Presidential citation.
After returning to the United States he earned his teaching and administrative credentials (San Francisco and Stanislaus State respectively), and met his beloved wife Pamela, of 43 years, until her passing. He started his career in education at Grayson Elementary before joining Modesto City Schools (MCS), where he was principal at Shakelford, Everett, Orville Wright, Bret Harte and Beard elementary schools. In his over three decades in education, he sought to make educational opportunities as accessible as possible for students; he worked to add sidewalks and lighting to facilitate getting to school safely, implemented the first school breakfast program in the county so his students were not having to start the school day while hungry. He worked to increase the diversity of backgrounds in the teacher population and also worked with the Johns Hopkins "Success for All" Program for many years seeking to improve the educational process for students. He was one of the first, if not the first, Latino elementary school principals in MCS.
He was an active community volunteer for at least five decades, involved in numerous community organizations including the Stanislaus County Equal Rights Commission (their annual diversity award is named in his honor), Headrest (Center for Human Services), American GI Forum, El Concilio, Latino Community Roundtable, Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), Hispanic Leadership Council (and HYLC) and Stanislaus Council for the Spanish Speaking. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post 1051 and later 3199 where he served as post commander. He was also multi-term member of the Stanislaus County Veterans Advisory Commission. He stepped down from his volunteering only recently out of necessity after being hospitalized at VA Palo Alto.
He lived by a philosophy his parents taught him … which was placing a very high value on education and being sure to reach back to help others along their path as others had helped him, which makes for a stronger community and better country.
He is survived by his many brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, his adult children, and in a larger sense, his many students.
On Thursday, August 17th:
A Rosary will be held at Franklin and Downs, 1050 McHenry Ave, Modesto - doors will open at 4:30pm, Rosary will start at 5:30pm.
On Friday, August 18th:
A Mass will be held at 9:30am at St. Joseph's Church - 1813 Oakdale Rd, Modesto with an Honor Guard Interment Ceremony to follow at Lakewood Memorial Cemetery around 11am.