Danny Joe Hereford

    Danny Joe Hereford, 85, of Mountain Home, Idaho died of natural causes on June 11,2024. Dan was born on March 22nd, 1939 in Tekoa, WA. He was the oldest of four children of Joseph and Betty Hereford. He grew up in Dayton, WA and Pendleton, OR. Graduating from Pendleton High School in 1957. In August of 1957 he joined the U.S. Navy and served for 20 years retiring in 1977. Dan served in San Diego, CA (195, 1962, 1966-1971, 1973-1977) ; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1958-1960, 1962-1966); Norfolk, Virginia(1960-1961); Vietnam (1972). During his service in the Navy he served aboard the USS Carpenter (DDE-825) in 1958 and USS Ogden (LPD-5) in 1967/68.he retired in March 1977 and went to college on the G.I. bill for four years attaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in behavioral Science with emphasis in Chemical Dependency (cum-laude) and a master of Arts Degree in Counseling Psychology with honors.     Dan was a Recovering Alcoholic from 17 December 1973 until his death. He worked in the Addiction field in San Diego, CA for 25 years retiring in 2002.His last employment was with the El Cajon, California Superior Court as the Supervisor of the original Substance Abuse Assessment Unit in California. As a result of their work at the Court, today every Court in the State of California has an Assessment Unit. During his working years Dan held Certifications as an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor; a National Certified Addiction Counselor; a Registered Addiction Specialist; A California Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs Administrator; Instructor; Counselor and Group Facilitator.   Dan was preceded in death by his parents, his three younger siblings and his first wife Juanita Louise Valdez who died in October 2001. Dan remarried in October 2002 and retired from work that same month. After a year he moved to Mountain Home, Idaho in September 2003 where he worked with others in the Alcoholics anonymous Program until his death.     Dan was in the Pendleton, Oregon High School Football Hall of Fame with his classmate Bob Lilly who is an NFL Hall of Famer from the Dallas Cowboys. Dan was a genealogist who traced his family back to 1100 in Hereford, England. He found that his sixth Great Grandfather came to America around 1650 and bought 2200 acres of land in Virginia near George Washington’s land. His fifth Great Grandfather built the original Pohick Church in Virginia which was 20 years later moved to a new location and rebuilt by George Washington. Dan also found in his genealogy tracing that he was a 3rd cousin to General George Smith Patton of WWI and WWII and a fifth cousin to Betty Garrett a movie star from the 40’s and 50’s who appeared in many of Betty Grable’s dancing movies. He also found that his Fourth Great Grandfather was in the Revolutionary War, his Second Great Grandfather was in the War 1812; his Great Grandfather as in the Civil War and a cousin was in the Mexican War of 1847.     These ancestors being in those Wars made him eligible for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution; The Society of the War of 1812; the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and the Aztec Society all of which he became a Life Member. He was also a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the American legion. The Fleet Reserve Association; The National Chief Petty Officers Assn; the Internation Chief Petty Officers Assn and the National University Alumni Assn. Dan is survived by his four children Loretta Clark of Bremerton, WA; Joe Hereford of Lemon Grove, CA; Cheryl Ann Stolarek of San Diego, CA; and Daniel Hereford of Canyon Country, CA. When he died, Dan Had thirteen Grandchildren and nineteen Great Grandchildren.