It is with great sympathy and sadness that we inform you that long-time Republican activist Dan Carasso has passed away at the age of 95.
Dan Maurice Carasso, 95, born on October 13, 1916, in San Francisco, California to immigrant parents from Spain and Greece, passed away in his sleep October 5, 2012. He resided in Panorama City, California at the time of his passing.
Graveside Services will be at 11:00 on Wednesday October 17. We suggest you arrive at 10:30 to be part of the procession to the graveside. Military honors will be performed for the service which will take place at:
Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive Los Angeles, CA 90068 (Off the 134 Freeway near Burbank and Griffith Park.)
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ida, and two daughters.
Dan was a true American patriot and he will be missed by his family, friends and fellow patriots.
He supported many philanthropic and political works and projects, including the Republican Party, Republican groups and Republican candidates.
Dan, and his family moved to Los Angeles at the age of 2 in 1918. He went to Fairfax High School, where he excelled in baseball and other sports. Dan was very proud of his years with the Boy Scouts. He earned his Eagle Scout badge. During the 1940s he was the leader of Troop 8 in Los Angeles. He, and many of his fellow scouts served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II with distinction. He kept in contact with his fellow scouts and they had a reunion in the 1990s.
During World War II Dan served in the Army Air Force. He taught Morse code to radio operators/gunners who were going overseas to serve in the 8th and other Air Forces. Dan often told how the radio operators asked to be in his class as he was the best teacher.
He had gone to high school with Ida Allen. Ida was an accomplished dancer/actress for the MGM movie studios. During the war they met again and were married in 1944.
They had three daughters, Camilla, Diane and Rosalie. Rosalie died in an unfortunate airplane accident in 2002.
After the war Dan became active in Republican politics, first as a Young Republican, and has been active ever since. At the time of his death Dan had been a Republican activist for 65 years. He was in the process of forming a Republican club for Hispanics at the time of his death. He was fiercely devoted to his country, to conservative principles, to the Republican Party and to American exceptionalism.
Dan initially worked for Lockheed, then became an insurance examiner, then became the owner of a used truck business, and during the last 20 years of his business career was a private investigator. Dan was a law school graduate, passed the BAR exam but never practiced law.
In 1968 and 1972 he was a candidate for the California Assembly in the San Fernando Valley. Dan met and knew many prominent officials including President Nixon, Governor Deukmejian, Assemblyman Tony Strickland, Congressman/ Actor/Singer/Businessman Sony Bono. One time President Ronald Reagan called the house and asked to speak to Dan to thank him for all his hard work. In 1969 Dan helped Governor Jerry Brown get started in politics by helping to get him elected to the Los Angeles Community College Board. That was a story he didn't tell very often.
As a young boy, one of Dan's tennis partners was the actor Mickey Rooney. One time he met the actor Ed Asner, a liberal activist, during some sort of political event. They made a bet on the outcome of a political race. Dan won the bet, so Ed sent him $100, but all in pennies!!!
Dan Carasso had a big heart and even though he was bound in a wheelchair for many years it didn't keep him from being very active in the Republican Party and supporting Republican candidates up and down the ballot. He was also very supportive of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County.
For the past ten years or so, Dan was very instrumental in recruiting and supporting candidates for the Los Angeles Community College District. Dan was generous with his time and with his financial resources.
Dan Carasso will be sorely missed.
We have lost a valuable Republican activist and supporter in Dan Carasso.
Sincerely,
Lynn Haueter, Chairman
The Republican Party of Los Angeles County
