DALY, THOMAS P., JR.
Catholic rites will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, 2001, at St. Philip the Apostle Church for Thomas Paul “Skip” Daly, Jr., 83, who died June 9, 2001. Rev. Msgr. Ronald Sweet, Rev. Msgr. Ralph Belluomini and Fr. Roy Burkhart will concelebrate. Burial will be held at San Carlos Cemetery, Monterey, CA.
Skip was born on July 8, 1917 in Los Angeles. He attended elementary schools in Southern California and Fresno. He attended high school in Eagle Rock and attended Loyola College on football and boxing scholarships, graduating in 1940. He spent two years at Georgetown University School of Law, before entering the Marine Corps in 1942. During WWII, Skip served in the Pacific as a commissioned officer. He participated in several amphibious landings and island-hopping behind enemy lines as a rifle platoon leader in a Raider squadron. He was wounded in Bougainville, Guam and Okinawa and received three Purple Hearts. Following his release from the Marine Corps, Skip completed his legal studies at the University of Southern California School of Law, graduating in 1947.
His career in law began as a law clerk in Federal District Court. He later joined the Kern County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney. He was called back into the Marine Corps at the rank of major during the Korean Conflict. He went into private practice in 1952. Skip was honored by the Kern County Bar Association with the Bench and Bar Award and received the President’s Pro Bono Service Award from the State Bar of California, both for his commitment and service to the poor.
He served as Chairman of the Board for 12 years of Bakersfield Catholic Social Services and was liaison officer between the board and “El Camino,” the Mexican American Alcoholic Program, which he was instrumental in founding. He was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul organization, a member of the Sierra Club, the Crusillo and was a past Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus.
Skip was preceded in death by his first wife, Anne, in 1963 and by his sister, Virginia De La Plante, in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Hilaire Geraldine Daly; sons and daughters-in law, Patrick and Margaret Daly of Calabasas, Michael and Laura Daly of Seattle, WA, Blaise and Leslie Stoltenberg of Ft. Collins, CO; daughters and son-in-law, Susan and Thomas Commins of San Francisco, Brigid Daly of Bakersfield; Kathleen and Ron Marlar of Marietta, GA; 5 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers include Michael and Patrick Daley, Alexander and Frank Ripepi, Joe Ducato and Tim Linscot. Honorary pallbearers include Sidney Aitken, Jim Ware, Hal Aaron, Ilo Scatena and George Giumarra.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Labyrinth Fund of St. Philip the Apostle Church, 7100 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93309. There will be no visitation.
Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary Bakersfield.