David Ruben Cato

David Ruben Cato (Dave), husband, father, papa, friend, teacher and coach died peacefully surrounded by his loving family at his home on November 16th 2023, at the age of 75. He will be forever loved by his family and friends. David was born to Ruben and Cruzita Cato in 1948 in Brawley, California. He grew up with 6 siblings and graduated from Brawley High School in 1966. As an exceptional athlete he is a member of the Imperial Valley Hall of Fame as an all league MVP in football and a two time all conference shortstop. After high school Dave went onto play college football at New Mexico State and California State University Chico. He graduated from Chico State with a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and got his teaching credential in 1972. Dave married Judy Blake in 1969. They met while attending college at Chico State and celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in July. He is survived by his wife Judy and their three children: Allison (Nate Sonberg), Kristi (BIll Napoli) and Brian (Sarah Callaway) and 7 grandchildren: Alex Cato, Josiah Robinson, Marin Robinson, Shea Sonberg, Mackenzie Cato, Kai Robinson and Beau Cato. Dave’s family meant a lot to him and he spent a lot of his time loving and supporting them. He coached his children and grandchildren in all sports, including Chico Eastside and Pleasant Valley High School. His family were very important to him, and you often would see him at their school and sporting events and they will miss him greatly. Dave Cato was inducted into the Orland High School Hall of Fame in 2012. He taught at Orland High School for 35 years and was a coach. He coached baseball and track for Orland but his main passion was football, which he coached for 23 years. As coach the football teams won 116 games, won 3 Westside League Championships and a Northern State AAA championship. He also taught weight training classes for Butte College. He loved coaching and had lifetime bonds with many of his players. Dave loved all sports. He loved to play football, basketball, baseball, softball and golf. His passion and love for sports, plus his competitive nature were known to all who were lucky to know him. Dave loved to spend time and travel with his wife Judy all over the world to explore different states and countries. His favorite place was Hawaii which led to many family trips with his wife, children and grandchildren; many wonderful memories were made in Hawaii. Dave’s smile, playful spirit and love of life will be greatly missed by his family and friends. The Celebration of Life will be on January 14, 2024 at 2 pm at the Elks Lodge in Chico. A special thanks to all the medical staff at UCSF and Enloe Cancer Center for their care and compassion.