Daniel Craig Pearson

April 4, 1950 – February 24, 2023

Dan lived an adventurous life and, if you asked him, would tell you that he probably wouldn’t change a thing. He was born to Carroll K. Pearson and Mary Elaine Ward in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He had an older brother, David R. and younger sister, Carolyn, came along about 2 years later. Shortly after birth, his family moved to Denison, IA, where he lived until he was about 5 years old, when they moved to the San Bernardino area of California. His family moved a lot, with Dan living in about 21 different places before he got married, and then 2 more after that. He was proud to live in his last home for 36+ years.

Dan’s educational journey started in San Bernardino schools for Kindergarten, then Rialto schools for elementary. He attended Bloomington Junior High, where a science teacher started him on the road to becoming a wildlife biologist by having him work at the San Bernardino Museum Reptile House, then located across from the junior high. In high school Dan played football and baseball. Under the mentorship of Coach Phelps at Bloomington High, Dan was encouraged to seriously think about attending college. No one in his family had ever gone to college before so Dan didn’t really know much about it. Coach Phelps took him on college visits and he was the only one that the coach recommended in his senior year to college coaches for football. Dan graduated from Bloomington High School in 1968.

Dan attended the University of Redlands, where he made life-long friends, played football, and was involved in campus pranks, stories of which are passed down to children and grandchildren. He graduated in 1972 with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Biology. He took a year off of school to be a substitute teacher and coach football. He then attended Cal Poly, Pomona, earning a Masters of Science in Biological Sciences in 1977. His life took off from there.

Dan went to work as a seasonal aide for the Department of Fish and Game in Chino, where his future wife, Cheryl, a short time later. She got a job as a seasonal aide secretary, only by default, because no one else showed up for their interviews. It was meant to be that they should meet. They started dating and married a little more than a year later. Dan went on to work for the American Sportsmen’s Club as a wildlife manager, which he had only a short time before getting a position with SCS Engineers. After that, a position came up at Southern California Edison, where he stayed for about 30 years. He retired to go to work for Burns and McDonnell, working on Edison projects, and then retiring from there in 2010. Dan said that “going to work for SCE was the 2nd best decision I made in my life. My best decision, of course, was to ask Cheryl to marry me.”

While at SCE Dan worked to protect endangered species while keeping Edison out of trouble. He developed many programs to educate the employees out in the field, the one he’s most proud of is the Endangered Species Alert Program, which is still in use to this day, and copied by utilities all over the U.S., as well as other countries. He was the senior editor of the book Life on the Edge, authored numerous papers published in the journals of various wildlife organizations, and received numerous awards for his work. He was instrumental in designing and building the San Dieguito Wetlands and worked to protect habitat for the preservation of many species, including the desert tortoise, Steven’s Kangaroo Rat, California Condor, and so many more animals and plants. Most people won’t know his name, but he left a lasting legacy on this earth.

Dan’s other legacy is his family. He and Cheryl Bennett married in 1978. In 1979 Kristine was born, and then Kimberly in 1982. They lived in Pomona for 3 years, then La Verne for about 3 years, and then moved to Alta Loma in 1986. The girls grew up and married, having children of their own. Dan loved every one of his grandchildren: Alison, Amanda, Sean, Tony, Bryce, Travis, Lauryn, Aubrianna, Cole, and Madison. Holidays were fun and crowded, especially at Christmas, Dan’s favorite holiday. He loved to pick out presents for the grandkids, and often went over budget.

Dan lived his dream of a life of adventure. He didn’t get to ride on the back of a moose, but he did get to hang out of helicopters, trapped beavers, had run-ins with rattlesnakes, helped to trap bears, worked with some fantastic people for the preservation of the environment, and loved the outdoor life. He loved to hunt pheasant, especially with his German Shorthair Pointers Bo, Arrow, Ruger, and Colt. He had good times with fellow biologists on hunting and fishing trips in different parts of the country. He loved hunting deer and elk at the ranch we used to share in New Mexico. He also went on an African Safari. Because of his work, he traveled to almost every state in the U.S., as well as South Africa and Zimbabwe. He was respected by many not only for the work he did, but for the man he was.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, brother and sister. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, daughters Kristine Yoder (Donald) and Kimberly (Dan), and his 10 grandchildren, named above. He was loved and respected by many and is greatly missed. He left us too soon but is no longer in pain. He’s with Our Lord Jesus. He is also reunited with several great friends that preceded him, and they are all having a great time. And, as he did on this earth, he’ll wait patiently for Cheryl to join him, when she’s ready.