Dan was a loving family man and community leader who will be greatly missed. He was born on 6th Street in Pittsburg, CA, and he attended local schools. After graduating from Pittsburg High in 1948, he began working for United States Steel.
During the Korean War, Dan took a leave of absence to enlist in the US Army, where he served in Korea with honor. He returned to his US Steel job, enrolled in Diablo Valley College and earned his AA degree in 1957. Dan joined the Pittsburg Police Department Reserves in 1959, and after he retired from US Steel in 1983, he then worked another 10 years as the Pittsburg Police Department evidence technician.
Dan married Gail Morgan in 1958, and they raised three children: Gale Sbranti, Lisa Mazzoncini and Daniel Herrera Jr.; five grandchildren: Gianna and Daniel Herrera III, Kimberly Sbranti, Stephanie Lenahan, Michele Mazzoncini and Tiffany Berryman; and one great-grandchild: Colton Herrera.
Dan was an active community member who was dedicated to helping people. He was a charter member of the John F. Kennedy and American G.I. Forum, and he proudly served as the VFW Post 1878 commander for 13 years. He was a Little League Baseball coach, a United Federal Savings Credit Union board member, and a United Steelworkers Union Local 1440 president and financial secretary.
Dan was proud to say he had shaken the hands of five presidents. He also assisted many local politicians in their election efforts
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at 4:00pm with a vigil at 6:30pm at the Pittsburg Funeral Chapel. Funeral liturgy Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at 10:00am at Church of the Good Shepherd. Committal services following at Holy Cross Cemetery in Antioch. Donation preferences are Continuum Care Hospice or the American Cancer Society.