Yolo-Stanislaus-Tuolumne County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....HANZO , Thomas Vincent January 2 2004 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/ca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Peggy B. Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net July 13, 2004, 10:46 pm "The Davis Enterprise," Saturday, January 10, 2004 Thomas V. Hanzo Thomas Vincent Hanzo, a former Davis resident, died Jan. 2, 2004, at Doctors Medical Hospital in Modesto. He was 55 years old. Born Feb. 12, 1948, to Thomas and Arlene Hanzo in Boulder, Colo., he was 8 months old when his parents moved to California. The family lived in Redwood City until Tom was 3, then moved to Davis, where he attended Holy Rosary Elementary School in Woodland. At age 7, Tom served as an altar boy at St. James Catholic Church in Davis. After graduating from Davis High School in 1966, Hanzo served his country with the U.S. Coast Guard, fulfilling a tour of duty in Vietnam aboard the USS Winona. Upon returning home, he studied engineering and water biology at Hayward College and UC Berkeley. Hanzo had a lengthy career in water pollution control, beginning with the East Bay Municipal Utility District. He later was hired by the city of Davis as a water pollution control plant operator and advanced to division manager. He was a statewide leader in water quality over his 25-plus-year career. He was an active member and leader in the California Water Environment Association, a professional organization where he served as a statewide director, chairman of the northern region and president of the Northern Sacramento Valley Section. He was passionate about furthering the goals of his profession by organizing and participating in various regional and statewide conferences, as well as training sessions for plant operations staff. His desire to acknowledge those who embraced the goals of continued learning and excellence in the profession led to the creation of the Plant of the Year award, now a statewide honor. Hanzo's many accomplishments with the city of Davis were crowned by his leadership role in the development of the Davis wetlands project, a 400-acre wetlands used for waste water and storm water treatment that also serves as prime habitat for migrating waterfowl and other wildlife. The Davis wetlands was one of the largest projects of its type, and city staff have acknowledged that it would not have happened without Hanzo's vision, hard work and relationships with state and federal agencies. This project satisfied several of Hanzo's personal goals, including creating habitat for local wildlife and migrating waterfowl while providing for improved water quality in an environmentally friendly manner. He was passionate about wildlife, as an avid waterfowl hunter and generous supporter of the various organizations that seek to preserve habitat for waterfowl and wildlife. He loved everything about duck hunting - his friends, his Labrador retrievers, the days in the marsh, the anticipation and planning of the hunt, the gear, the social times following a day of hunting with friends, and particularly spending time with his favorite partner, his son Andrew. Hanzo served as chairman of Ducks Unlimited and the California Waterfowl Association. He personally donated his time, leadership and significant personal funds to further the goals of these organizations. He retired from the city of Davis in 2001. He was a founder of the Yolo County Resources Board and also was co-owner of PHL and Associates of Davis. Upon retirement, Tom and his wife moved to the foothills to enjoy a peaceful life in the country, where he enjoyed his family and the great outdoors. He is survived by his wife, Heidi C. Hanzo of Sonora; his son, Andrew Matthew Hanzo of Murphys; his four stepchildren, Heather Anne Whitear, Laura Ashley Gualco, Samuel Charles Whitear, and Chelsea LeAnne Marquez; his two grandchildren, Noah Christopher Thomas Hanzo and Olivia Rose Barron; his mother, Arlene C. Wichmann and her husband, Dr. Robert Wichmann of Davis; his father, Thomas A. Hanzo of Roseville; his brother, Chris Hanzo; his sister, Judith Hanzo; and two nieces, Jessica and Kate Hanzo. A memorial celebration of his life will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at 21546 Belleview Creek Road in Sonora, CA, 95370. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice or to Ducks Unlimited. Additional Comments: Submitted with the permission of the "The Davis Enterprise," 315 G Street, Davis, CA 95616. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/obits/gob681hanzo.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb