Former El Cerrito Mayor Larry Damon, 1936-2012

Donald Larry Damon, who served a four-year term on the El Cerrito City Council in 1997-2001 and as the city's mayor in 2001, died April 3 at age 75.

Mr. Damon, who suffered from lymphoma, is remembered in the city as an outspoken citizen who ran for City Council to reform city government. After leaving the council, he continued to take an interest in civic affairs. He chaired the creeks committee of the until illness forced him to step aside.

Rich Bartke, also a former mayor and councilmember and current president of the Historical Society, called Mr. Damon's death "a loss for our community."

In his professional life, Mr. Damon was an expert in nuclear power engineering, serving before he retired as a manager of engineering technology at Bechtel Research and Development in San Francisco, according to a short biography on the National Academies Press Web site.

He is perhaps most remembered in El Cerrito for his political career.

"Larry was a frequent City Council critic in the mid-1990's, one spokesperson for a group of citizens who did not believe the city was being run properly," Bartke recalled. "The group was the major campaign support that helped Larry get elected to the council in 1997." Mr. Damon complained that city staff wasn't managing the city the way he had learned at Bechtel, Bartke said.

After serving on the council, Mr. Damon's found himself with the "uncomfortable task of going to the group that had supported him, and telling them that actually the city staff was quite competent and that El Cerrito was a pretty well-run city," Bartke said. He lost the group's support.

Mr. Damon struck some as being too opinionated and assertive in his views, Bartke said. "But those of us who worked with him found him to be always approachable, and quite willing to learn, and to change his mind if the facts warranted it," Bartke said.

Jane Bartke, wife of Rich and also a former mayor and councilwoman, said she and Mr. Damon didn't always agree but that she admired his willingness to listen to the other side and adjust his views accordingly.

"Larry was very opinionated, but he was not fixed in his opinions," she said. "...Larry would change his mind. That's a very valuable trait."

He also devoted himself to his civic duty and attended numerous civic meetings and functions, she said. "He was very dedicated in what he did. You could always count on him to be there."

When asked why he was not seeking re-election in 2001, he provided an extended explanation to El Cerrito Wire saying he felt he'd accomplished most of the "course change" he had sought when he ran for office. 

"When I ran for office in 1997, I wanted to ... institute modern management practices at City Hall, especially in the areas of budget development, financial operations and performance accountability," he said. "I also wanted to get Redevelopment under control, have it pay its debt to the City, stop the City's interference at the Plaza and let commercial market forces take over its revitalization. I also wanted to begin restoration of our decaying infrastructure (e.g.,the Swim Center, streets, etc.). 

"These are just a few examples but, to my great satisfaction and with the help of a lot of dedicated people, it seems that most of what I wanted have either happened or are in progress."

He also said he wanted to devote more time "to being the best Grandpa EVER."

His wife, Emily (Emmy) Damon, died in 2004 from lung cancer. The couple married one day after graduating from the University of Nevada at Reno, according to her obituary.

The family-prepared obituary below contains more information about his life and family:

         Donald Larry Damon
   June 13, 1936 - April 3, 2012

Larry Damon passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 3, with his loving family at his side.  His amazing physical strength and good sense of humor along with the help and support of devoted family, dear friends, and the wonderful staff at Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center helped him battle against the most aggressive type of Lymphoma for an additional seventeen months after his first chemo treatment.  He was appreciative of these extra months so he could spend more time with family and friends, and finish a few more projects.

Larry was born and raised in Winnemucca, NV, and attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received his degree in Electrical Engineering.  He was in the Sigma Nu fraternity, and he joined UNR's boxing team where he demonstrated his quick tactical boxing skills and powerful punches in the 165-pound division.  In 1956, Larry enjoyed a successful boxing season making it all the way to the NCAA Championships in Madison, WI.

While attending college, Larry first saw Emily "Emmy" Hanf at Lerner's clothing store in the Spring of 1955.  He had his eye on her for a year and a half until October 1956 when Larry finally took Emmy on a first date to see Fantasia at the Granada in Reno.  They dated all through college and Larry proposed to Emmy at the Gamma Phi Beta Christmas Dance.  He slipped the engagement ring that Emmy had admired for months through the window of a jewelry store into a glass of champagne.  When she took a sip and felt something touch her lips, she found the ring she so admired sitting in her glass.  Six months later on June 7, 1960, Larry and Emmy were married by Reverend Vernon Kotter in the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno.  They remained married for 44 years until Emmy's death in 2004.

The newlyweds moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where Larry worked for Western Electric Company for a brief time before taking a position at Tracerlab to work in the evolving field of Nucleonics, or Nuclear Electronics.  After a year, he became Project Engineer and continued his education at UC Berkeley earning a Master's in Nuclear Engineering Technology.  In 1964, Larry joined the Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco to avoid moving from the Bay Area when Tracerlab was acquired by another company.  At Bechtel, he was involved in the development of several land-based nuclear power plants and rose through the ranks from Senior Engineer, Group Supervisor, Project Engineer, Chief Control Systems Engineer, Project Manager, and, finally Manager of Engineering Technology in Research and Development. 

After 35 years at Bechtel, Larry retired to devote his full attention to his newly elected position as Councilmember on El Cerrito's City Council.  He also served as Mayor during his four year term.  Larry loved El Cerrito and he worked hard to modernize city management practices, restore its infrastructure, and revitalize business at the Plaza among other things.  With all that was accomplished or was in the process of being accomplished, Larry decided not to run for re-election but instead concentrated on being "Grandpa" to his four wonderful grandchildren.  He also found time to get back into working on construction projects around the house, making improvements on his boat, and enjoying his friendships at the Richmond Yacht Club.  He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Lions Club, University of Nevada Alumni Association, University of California-Berkeley Alumni Association, California Society of Professional Engineers, and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Larry was a man who was known to have a tough exterior, but a big, kind heart.  Many times over, he helped make positive changes in people's lives.  His willingness to trust others on a handshake and to do the right thing was unwavering.  Time and time again his wife and children witnessed his selfless, kind acts to help others.  Sometimes they thought he was crazy to trust people that he hardly knew, but many times individuals he had helped came back to thank him for his logical insight into a problem, for his wise advice, and for asking the questions that helped guide them into finding their own solutions and taking the path that they instinctively knew was best for them. 

Larry was also appreciated by many adoring children as he adored them, which is something he had in common with his mother, Marian (Erskine) Grauvogel, who taught hundreds of children the love of music during her 34 years as a music teacher in Yerington and in Winnemucca, NV.  Larry carried small stuffed animals in his pockets in case he ran into one of his little pals at the Richmond Yacht Club, and no baby went unnoticed that passed him in a restaurant, in a supermarket, or anywhere else they had been.  He was a wonderful, loving Grandfather who enjoyed taking his grandchildren out for "Donut Time", helping them with their homework, and teaching them valuable life lessons from his own experiences.  His last big act as Grandpa was designing and building a beautiful, wood swing set that draws all of the neighborhood kids to use it. 

Larry is survived by his children Wendy Gallo (Rick), Stuart Damon (Fadia), grandchildren, Alysse Gallo, Daniel Gallo, Sahara Damon and Bradley Damon.  Brothers Lyle Damon (Karen), Douglas Damon (Diana), Dean Grauvogel (Janet).  Sisters Nancy Singley (Hank), Betty Tuttle (Lyle) and sisters-in-law Anita Droegemeier and Laura Grauvogel.  He is predeceased by his parents Ernest Damon and Marian Grauvogel, his beautiful wife, Emily Hanf Damon, his brother Carl Grauvogel, and his brother-in-law Keith Droegemeier.  He will be greatly missed by his family and by many wonderful friends.    

At Larry's request, no services will be held.  Donations may be made online or sent to the Alta Bates Summit Foundation, 2450 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94705.