Memorium

 Fire Chief Warren Edward McDaniels, Sr 

Warren Edward McDaniels, Sr., passed on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 4:25p.m. Raised by his grandmother, McDaniels dropped out of George Washington Carver High School after his sophomore year. He worked odd jobs and served three years in the Navy. Eight years after leaving school, McDaniels enrolled in an adult-education program to learn how to drive 18 wheelers. The program gave him the opportunity to earn his G.E.D. diploma, which in turn led to his employment with the New Orleans Fire Department. After 33 years of service, Chief McDaniels retired from the New Orleans Fire Department on Friday, December 27, 2002. Appointed to the New Orleans Fire Department October 19, 1969, he served as a firefighter, apparatus operator, company officer, training captain and fire science instructor at Delgado Community College, Chief of Administration and Assistant Superintendent. On March 31, 1993, Chief McDaniels became the ninth Superintendent in the history of the New Orleans Fire Department. He was the first African American to serve at this post. Chief McDaniels is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, the executive development program of Loyola University and holds an Associate degree in Fire Protection

Technology.

 

 In 1992, he was awarded a Fellowship to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. At the time of his of his death, Chief McDaniels was serving as the chairman of two boards: the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association in Boston, Massachusetts and Chairman of the Orleans Parish Communication District (911 Operating System) Board. He served as a Past President of the Metropolitan Chiefs Committee (which is a division of both The National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs) and the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Also, he has served on the board of the Volunteers of America, New Orleans Region, the Board of Visitors of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland; and the Governor of Louisiana’s Arson Strike Force. In 1999, the American Council on Education presented him with the Cornelius P. Turner Award for his lifetime achievements as a GED graduate. Chief McDaniels was also a member of the Black Chief Officer Committee (BCOC).

Professor Oliver Jones

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) family mourned the death of Oliver Jones, 60, a FAMU political science professor for more than 27 years.

Jones, a native of Savannah, Ga., grew up in a single-family home in Statesboro, Ga. He devoted his life to learning, which eventually led to traveling to places like Australia, Italy and London.

“He pretty much came from nothing,” said Deidra Jones, daughter of Jones.  “His mother was his role model and he used his surroundings to propel himself into a better life. He saw education as a way to better himself and went full speed ahead.”

Before traveling the globe for a number of conferences, Jones received his bachelor’s of science from Savannah State College in 1971 and his master’s degree in1974 and his Ph.D. in 1979 at the University of Illinois.

Jones taught briefly at Rust College in Holly Spring, Mississippi, before becoming a professor at FAMU in 1979.

According to his daughter, her father believed, and would often tell people, an education is the process of moving from unconscious ignorance to conscious ignorance. 

“Jones’ quest to enlighten his students and spread his passion for education will be greatly missed,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “We wish his family the best during this time of mourning.  He was an outstanding faculty member and will be sorely missed.”

In addition to teaching, Jones also was part of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and the Black Chief Officers Committee.

Jones’ funeral is scheduled Saturday, September 8, at the Historical First Baptist Church in Statesboro, Ga. The family is asking that memorial contributions be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32308.

“FAMU has suffered a tremendous loss with his passing,” said Aubrey Perry, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences during Jones’ early years at FAMU. “Not only was he a prolific writer and loved professor, he was also one of the most decent human beings that we ever had on the faculty.”

His daughters, Olivia and Deidra Jones, said they will remember their father for always being there when they needed him to be, for offering them a plethora of advice accompanied by some of his favorite quotes and instilling in them the passion he had for education.  A passion that he managed to spread all across the world—especially at Florida A&M University.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years Vernita Jones of Tallahassee; a sister, Martha Jane Jones of Statesboro, Ga.; two daughters, Olivia Jones and Deidra Jones, both of Tallahassee; a nephew, Donsay Jones of Statesboro, Ga.; and a host of other relatives and friends.

In recognition for williness to give back to brothers and sisters throughout the Fire Service the Black Chief Officer’s Committee has honored Dr. Jones by naming the annual symposium in his name. Dr. Jones create the slogan “All that I am I owe, I live eternally in the red”.

Retired Fire Chief Johnny Delotch answered his last alarm on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, just days before his 73^rd birthday.

Chief Delotch served in the U.S. Navy before joining our Department in April 1963.  In July 1974, he was promoted to Fire Captain.  He made Battalion Chief in May 1979 and Deputy Fire Chief in August 1984.  He was ultimately promoted to Fire Chief in November 1985, becoming the first African American fire chief.

Chief Delotch retired from the Department in September 1992 after nearly 30 years of dedicated service.

When John Delotch became a firefighter in 1963, the San Diego fire department had been integrated for a decade, and African-Americans no longer had to wait for one of their own to die or retire before another could be hired. But there was still more department history to make. Mr. Delotch worked his way up the ranks and in 1985 became San Diego's first African-American fire chief, a post he held until retiring in 1992. During his tenure as chief, he oversaw an increase in the recruitment, retention and promotion of minorities and women. The department also expanded its emergency medical responsibilities, adding its first squad of paramedics in 1991.
 

Mr. Delotch died of complications from pneumonia Tuesday at Pomerado Hospital in Poway. He was 72. He was proud to be named chief but knew the honor came with great responsibility, said his son, Randall Delotch of Rancho Bernardo. “As the first black chief of a major department, he knew he couldn't be a bad or ordinary chief. He felt the weight of the responsibility,” said Delotch, who is an engineer with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. “There's a great tradition in the fire service of passing on the love of the service from father to son. I was proud to have him put my badge on me when I came on in '92.” Delotch described his father as selfless. “He said if you're not willing to serve the community selflessly, you don't belong (in the fire department),” Delotch said.

In a 1992 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, John Delotch said he was among a handful of African-Americans hired in 1963, bringing the number in the fire department to 20. Although he confronted some racism, he said it was earlier pioneer African-American firefighters who bore the brunt of it. At the time of his retirement, there were 60 African-Americans and 85 women among the city's 850 uniformed firefighters. In the 1992 interview, Mr. Delotch said his proudest accomplishments included putting together “an outstanding management team” in the department and construction of modern fire stations and other facilities large enough to house expansion as the city grows.

“Chief Delotch led this department through some tough financial times,” Fire Chief Tracy Jarman said in a statement. “He put the citizens and his work force first in all his decisions. John Delotch will be remembered as a gentleman and a quiet and effective leader who loved the fire service.” Mr. Delotch was among the founders of Brothers United, the San Diego chapter of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters. Longtime friend and colleague Paul Berryman said the two were working at the same station in the early 1970s when Mr. Delotch called to tell him about a letter he found in the trash. “At that time, firefighters used to clean up the (administrative) office in the station and empty the trash. We had gotten invitations to join the Association of Black Professional Firefighters, but we didn't know about it because someone had been throwing the invitation away,” Berryman said. “We got all the black firefighters together and organized Brothers United.”

James Higgins, who joined the department in 1964, remembered Mr. Delotch as an ambitious, hard charger. “He was very organized and worked toward perfection all the time. He was a good chief. No matter who you were, he was always fair,” Higgins said. John “Johnny” Sims Delotch was born March 10, 1936, in Darlington, S.C. He joined the Navy in 1956 and settled in San Diego after leaving the Navy in 1960. He married the former Patricia Kimes in 1959, and the couple had three children. They divorced in the mid-1980s, and he later married the former Leslie Stefhano-Andrews.

Mr. Delotch earned a bachelor's degree in business from National University in 1984. He was active with Alpha Pi Boulé, St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church in Poway, Meals on Wheels and mentored Gompers School students. In addition to his son, Mr. Delotch is survived by his wife, Leslie of Escondido; two daughters, Lori Russo of Eugene, Ore., and Robin Fernandez of Homestead, Fla.; three stepchildren; and 10 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. March 14 at Maranatha Chapel in Rancho Bernardo.