Word has been received of the death, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005, of Daniel Kidder Trevino Jr., 79, of Houston, Texas.
He was born on Aug. 2, 1925, in Brownsville, Texas, a descendent of Bartolome Trevino, who received a 27,000-acre land grant in Starr County from the King of Spain in 1767. He attended public school in Brownsville before joining the United States Navy during World War II.
After seeing action in the South Pacific, Trevino was discharged and enrolled at the University of Texas, where he received degrees in business administration and English. He then attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he received his LLB and Juris Doctor of Law in 1954.
In February of that year, he married his beloved wife, Maija, who had come to America from Riga, Latvia. His passing came on the day of their 51st wedding anniversary.
The couple had seven children and 10 grandchildren, and were active at St. Albert of Trapani Roman Catholic Church in Houston. Trevino also served as a religious education teacher throughout his life wherever he practiced his Catholic faith.
His fluency in both Spanish and English made him a much sought-after attorney, and led to a number of unique positions. He served as general counsel to the president of Gulf Sulfur in Mexico City, and later as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas under the administration of state Attorneys General Waggoner Carr and Crawford Martin.
Trevino became known as a top litigator and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He also testified on Capitol Hill during the Watergate hearings.
An early pioneer in the war on poverty, Trevino served on the boards of many non-profit organizations, including the Florence Crittendon Home, the Depelchin Faith Home, the National Council of Christians and Jews, Development Associates and Child Protective Services, as well as the Memorial Hospital board in Houston.
Often working with his brother Adan, he founded a number of businesses, including the First Equitable Title Co., Pan American National Bank and the first Spanish-language television station in Houston, KXLN. Each was considered a groundbreaking achievement at the time, and all were of great benefit to the Latino community. Later, Trevino opened the popular Los Troncos restaurant, which was built in a treehouse and was known for its little nooks and crannies.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel Kidder Trevino Sr. and Manuela Coronado Trevino, a sister, Ofelia Paz, and brother Roberto Trevino.
In addition to his wife, Maija, he is survived by sons Roger Trevino of Niagara Falls, Daniel (Karen) Trevino III, Todd (Sue) Trevino and Larry (Mary) Trevino; daughters Dianna (Joe) Gay, Judy (George) Duffin and Christina Leigh Caesar; brothers Joe Trevino and Adan Trevino; sister Marie Bobo; 10 grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held in Houston at St. Albert of Trapani Roman Catholic Church on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m., and he will be buried on Feb. 19 next to his mother in his native Brownsville.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Feb. 15 2005 |