David Trevino

David Treviño was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities and personable traits. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. David was a man who definitely liked order and discipline and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, David would set about immediately to create it.

David was born on September 13, 1919, at his parents home, on 573 Sombra Street, in San Benito, Texas. His parents were Alberto and Petra Treviño. David was raised in San Benito, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. David was brought up to have a love & respect of God, to be reasonable, and just in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, David was credited with having a strong, positive influence on those around him and was sought as a mediator, and a leader. Papa Alberto, was a very strict, and domineering father, and Mama Petra was a Godly, humble, loving and supportive, mother.

The positive atmosphere that David generated spread to his family. David was raised with nine siblings, three brothers and six sisters. Their names were, Samuel, Daniel, Alberto, Beatrice, Genoveva, Maria, Herminia, Lupe and Irene. In addition, brother Daniel, and his wife Amalia, died early and left four children Raul, Samuel, Berta, and Celia that were taken in. A sister returned home with two children Alfredo and Minerva and they subsequently joined the family. His father was very strict and with these events David served as a catalyst within the family as his father relied on him, being the oldest boy. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to sibling disputes and in every family activity, David was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

David's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a typical young boy in his day, he liked playing with marbles, kick the can and playing with his brothers, sisters and six nieces and nephews that he grew up with. David attended Fred Booth Elementary School . David used to ask lots of questions and was hungry for knowledge. He grew to like English, grammar and writing, and taught his siblings to learn it at an early age. Because he realized the importance of good speaking and writing skills. He taught these lessons most of his life and even until a few days before his death, he was still correcting one's grammar and language skills, and those around him were reaping the rewards of a great teacher.

When it came to academics and school, David loved going to school. David's organizational skills reaped dividends. David was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He graduated from San Benito High School in 1938. In his spare time he liked to read; mostly the Bible as he often spent time reading to his father. David's memorable achievements included being in the Spanish Club, being a straight A student and being on the Honor Roll. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed a liking for his classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were English and History. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Roots, his English teacher.

David was an Army/Air Force Veteran of 3 years service. He was in the 1st Armored Division from 1942-1944 in Italy and North Africa and was stationed state side at Fort Benning, Georgia until 1945. David saw action for WWII for two years. Through his dedication and hard work, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received several awards including Three Bronze Stars, the American Good Conduct Medal, the American Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantry Marksman and the WW II American Campaign Medal. David's fellow soldiers knew that he worked well within the system, understanding the importance of rules and striving to follow them.

David knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship, and worked hard to achieve it. On the very cold and rainy night of December 20, 1946 David exchanged wedding vows with Delia Rodriguez at the home of the brides brother, Alfonso and Virginia of San Benito, Texas. Delia was a significant part of his life, and it was not necessary for David to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. David's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener, David and Delia called each other "D" to the outside world it was due to the fact that simply their names started with D, to each other it meant "Darling", a sentiment that remained until the end.

Family and children were important to David, they were blessed with four children, one daughter and three sons, Dahlia, David, Diego, and Daniel. They were also blessed with ten grandchildren, Mike, who named his grandparents, "Mama D and Papa D" then came Gabrielle, David, Danette, Katy, Kelly, Troy, Heather, Holly and Daniel. Then came four great-grandchildren, Dillon, Dana, Ashley and Danessa. David was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work, gentleness, kindness, & understanding. David rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong, and occasionally gave spankings if need be. More importantly, he tried to set a Godly example, and be understanding.

At work with USDA, David was viewed as a natural leader, he started out in the field as an inspector . He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. David was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although David might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was as an entomologist engineer for US Department of Agriculture. He was employed by USDA for 30 years as a Regional Director in charge of Mexico.

Not only did David find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His passions were dancing, singing, reading, meeting and visiting with people, and learning as much as possible. No matter what the activity was, David had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced his participation in sports, but only from a vantage point. He sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and he stayed cool and calm under pressure. He relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he had the opportunity. Tops on his list were boxing, baseball and golf.

In any group setting, whether it was family, work, or social, David was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone with a ready smile and a firm handshake. These qualities made him very approachable by others throughout his life. These qualities brought David the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to David. He believed that he should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way he wanted to be treated. David also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of his friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were his brothers Daniel, Samuel, and Alberto. Later in life, he became friends with Tony Castor, Ruben Becerril, Frank Olsen, Arturo Lopez, and Tom Simpson.

David's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made him a valuable asset to the organizations to which he contributed during his lifetime. David was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Once a project was begun, David had a definite methodology for seeing it through to completion. In high school, David was a member of the Spanish Club. Throughout his later years, David was an active member of the Free Masons, Loyal Order of Moose, and The Fraternal Order of Eagles. David was a man who took pride in upholding his beliefs. When he became active in community affairs, he did so in the same determined and forthright manner that he applied to other aspects of his life, serving on committees for the MAC projects for Tax Preparers Helping Seniors.

David lived his life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. His faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. He was a member of the Chula Vista Presbyterian Church. During that time, he was a Deacon, Elder and High School teacher. He along with Delia, started several churches; First Presbyterian Church of Chula Vista, a and Presbyterian Church in Mazatlan. He was instrumental in bringing Pastor Tom Simpson to the Hispanic community of Presbyterian Church of San Diego.

When David's retirement finally came in 1980, David knew exactly what was important to him and immediately became the Neighborhood Watch Captain, in order to visit all of his neighbors. Oh, how he loved people. Always a well-informed person, David enjoyed reading which added to his wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded him the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer him.

There were occasions in David's life where he would find himself involved in a cause or leading an organization and event where his drive to complete the project or meet the established goal was more important than his concern for the philosophy behind it. It was this kind of commitment and drive that earned him praise and honors throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included Neighborhood Watch Captain and the proclamation by the Mayor of National City as "Honorary Mayor of National City" and "David Treviño Day" was created. At 80 years old, in January 2000, he was awarded the "Spirit of Courage Award" from the San Diego and Imperial County Fire Departments, and the Burn Center. He was recognized for bravely and selflessly, without thinking twice, rushing into a burning house to save the invalid wife of a neighbor. Unfortunately she did not survive.

David passed away on May 23, 2010 at his home in Chula Vista, CA, after a brave battle against cancer. He was surrounded by his beloved wife Delia and family members. He is survived by wife Delia, his children Dahlia, David, Diego, Daniel, 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grand children. Services were held at Chula Vista Presbyterian Church June 11, 2010 and was laid to rest in Chula Vista, California in a private ceremony.

David Treviño knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated going after it. He could be characterized as someone who understood the importance of achievement and getting things accomplished. David was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan. David will be remembered with a ready smile and warm abrazo by all those who knew him