Anthony L. Dutra

Anthony Lawrence Dutra was born on February 15, 1928, in San Jose CA to Antone S. and Mary A. Dutra and passed away peacefully on August 1, 2023, in Modesto, CA.

He was raised on the family farm in Fremont, CA, and was a 1947 graduate of Washington High School. In his youth, he played sports with baseball being is favorite, and participated in the Future Farmers of America showing livestock at local fairs and the Cow Palace, San Francisco. At the age of fifteen, he started working as a tile cutter for Kraft Tile while performing farm chores in Fremont on the family farm. Then in 1950, after being drafted into the US ARMY, served his country in Europe, until his 1952 honorable discharge. He then returned to Fremont to the dairy farm where he later met his future wife, Carol Ostrem, while skating at a local roller-skating rink. They were married on July 7, 1956, in Fremont, CA. In 1958, they moved their family and cows to a new dairy farm in Turlock, residing and raising their family on their Chatom area ranch. Other than farming, he worked at International Paper as a warehouseman until his 1992 retirement.

As a loving husband and father, he always supported his family's activities whether it was coaching county little league baseball or traveling to youth competitions, livestock shows, and conferences. He loved living in the country and shared his passion for raising animals with his children and other youths as a 4-H leader for Chatom and Mountain View chapters for over forty years. During his free time, it was summer camping and fishing in the Sierras and served on the Camp Silvester camp committee (Pinecrest) ensuring camp readiness and maintenance for youth enjoyment for many years.

Celebrating family holidays and birthdays were always a priority. For many years, every Christmas Eve, we took our turn driving him all around Gustine, Newman, Hilmar and Turlock while he played Santa Claus visiting the homes of friends surprising their children with special gifts and providing joyful memories for so many families.

He took pride in serving our country, contributing to our community and volunteering his services. He regularly attended Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hilmar and was a 50-year member of the Young Men's Institute, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Portuguese Society of America.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Antone S. and Mary A. Dutra.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; his daughters, Susan Dutra Gallo, Sharon Dutra; his son, Mark (Lillian) Dutra; his grandchildren, Alicia and Tristan Gallo, Allison and Michael Dutra; his brother, Doug Dutra, and the extended family members of numerous nieces and nephews.

Remembrances and Donations in Anthony's name may be made to the following charitable organizations: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by visiting www.stjude.org or Community Hospice of Modesto by visiting www.give.hospiceheart.org