by Breeanna Jent on 2013-10-10
“Working with people and especially helping them in any way he could gave him a sense of enjoyment, fulfillment, and great satisfaction. I personally believe that God created him to embrace life and live it to the fullest,” said Colton City Mayor Sarah Zamora to a crowd who gathered Wednesday evening, Oct. 2, in front of Colton High School’s (CHS) Math and Science building during a ceremony which dedicated the building to Zamora’s husband, former Mayor David R. Zamora. “I know for the 40 years we spent together, he did that every day. I thank God and feel blessed to have had him in my life as my husband and the …” Mayor Zamora paused as she was overcome with emotion. She continued after a moment, “father of my children.”
Rancho Avenue was closed off for a short time that evening as community residents, leaders, school officials and family and friends gathered to honor the life and legacy of David R. Zamora, who served his community in various capacities, including as a member of the Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) School Board and later as the Colton City Mayor from 2010 until his passing in July 2011.
Sarah Zamora remembered her husband as a happy individual, she told the audience. “For those of you who didn’t have the privilege of knowing my husband on a personal note, I will share a few facts. He was the type of person that burned with energy, happiness and joy every morning … He was always smiling, laughing, telling jokes and having a great time.”
Following Mayor Sarah Zamora’s speech was a standing ovation and a round of applause as she was embraced by family members—more than half of those in attendance were related to David.
The CHS NJROTC Color Guard presented the colors, the school’s band provided the soundtrack for the evening and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by David Zamora’s grandchildren: Seth and Selah Johnson, and Raquel and Joaquin Jorrin.
Guest speaker, CJUSD Superintendent Jerry Almendarez, said, “Permanently dedicating a portion of CHS to David Zamora is a perfect gesture, because his humor, his passion for our community and his life’s work represent the best of Colton pride, and exactly what we strive to carry with us into our future.” Almendarez credited David Zamora with the reason he is today the CJUSD Superintendent, often in his speech referring to how David Zamora treated him as a friend. “Over the years, he would call me to ask how I was doing, or just to talk, and that meant a lot to me, because not only did I see him as a board member, but as a personal friend,” said Almendarez.
Board President Roger Kowalski touched on David Zamora’s commitment to the city as a whole, and his drive to ensure Colton’s success. Kowalski said, “When David retired from the City of Colton, he could have enjoyed a life of leisure, but just as he was dedicated to the needs of the students and to the school district, he was also dedicated to the needs of the citizens and the city of Colton. Until his passing in 2011 he worked vigorously to meet the challenges of his new position.”
David’s daughter, Summer Zamora Jorrin, gave closing remarks. “I know he would be humbled that his name is up for everyone to see, and that we are all here today to celebrate him. This is extra special for our family, since his name is on the building at the high school that my sisters and I are all graduates of,” she said. “I wanted to share something my dad used to tell me when I was growing up. He would say, ‘There are three kinds of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, “What happened?” Which kind are you?’ I know we can all agree that my dad was, without a doubt, the kind that made things happen. He led a very proactive and involved life, both in his public life and, more importantly, in his private life as our dad and as Papa to his grandkids.”
Prior to the ceremony, school board member Randall Ceniceros also remembered David Zamora as a friend. “I didn’t know him as long as some other people did, because I live in South Fontana,” said Ceniceros, “but whenever I came to Colton, he would always give me that big toothy smile and a handshake. We’re glad this [the dedication ceremony] is finally here. It’s long overdue.”
The blessing of the building was given by Centerpoint Church’s Pastor Dane Aaker, with a closing prayer led by Colton First Assembly of God Church Pastor Jonathan Florez, both of whom were friends of David Zamora.
David Zamora was a board member from 1997 to 2010, serving during his tenure as both the president and vice president. Additionally, he was employed by the City for nearly 30 years, serving as the Director of Community Development, where he was responsible for overseeing both the building and planning departments, as well as the planning commission. After he retired in 2009, David concluded his time on the school board and ran a successful campaign for mayor.
The math and science building which bears his name is a two-story, 46,794-square-foot building equipped with 30 classrooms and 1,380 seats. The project was built with a budget of $18.6 million, comprised of a combination of voter-approved district bond Measures B & G funds, state matching funds and capital facilities funds. It was constructed in cooperation among the CJSUD facilities project team, CJUSD Facilities Team, and partners DJM Construction, noted Principal Amanda Corridan.
The building is located on the corner of Rancho Avenue and West Valley Boulevard.
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David R. Zamora Building Dedication
Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Time: 5 p.m.
Google Map
Event Location: Colton High School
Address: 777 W. Valley Blvd. Colton CA 92324
Description: Join community leaders and residents in dedicating CHS’s new Math & Science building in honor of former mayor, the late David R. Zamora.
CONTACT INFO
Phone: CHS, 909-580-5005
Zamora: “This evening we are celebrating David’s life by honoring his legacy. Naming the Math and Science building after him is both emotional and humbling for our family. Now, if we want,” she began to chuckle as she spoke, “we’ll be able to drive by Colton High School and see his name in lights in the evenings.”
I know if he were standing here today, he would have asked why his name was not larger on the building, why it was not in his favorite color blue, and then he would probably have asked for a small replica to put on our living room wall at home. So I’ve decided to take a picture of the building and place it near his urn so he can enjoy it.
For those of you who didn’t have the privilege of knowing my husband on a personal note, I will share a few facts. He was the type of person that burned with energy, happiness and joy every morning, and I still to this day can’t figure out how he accomplished that. He was always smiling, laughing, telling jokes and having a great time. He had affectionate nicknames for 99.9 percent of everyone he was related to or became friends with. Most people who spent time getting to know him liked him eventually,” she paused as the crowd chuckled. “The first time I met him, I didn’t like him, and I ended up marrying him, so he was the kind of guy that kind of had a way of growing on you. He loved me and our children, our grandchildren, (and) all our family and friends with such fervor that he couldn’t get enough time with all of us in a 24-hour day. I thank my mother in law, Luz, because I know she loved him and taught him how to love us unconditionally.
Working with people and especially helping them in any way he could gave him a sense of enjoyment, fulfillment, and great satisfaction. I personally believe that God created him to embrace life and live it to the fullest. I know for the 40 years we spent together, he did that every day. I thank God and feel blessed to have had him in my life as my husband and the...” Mayor Zamora paused as she was overcome with emotion. She continued after a moment, “father of my children.
Simply put, this is and will always be my husband, David R. Zamora.
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Almendarez: “Today is a celebration honoring the spirit of public service, family values and investment in a future that exemplifies so much of what is special about Colton and the spirit at the heart of what makes this place where people grow up, stay to raise their families, and invest their livelihoods into helping our community thrive. David Zamora served on our board of education for over 13 years before assuming the office of Colton mayor. In his professional career, he worked for the city for 28 years in the community development. In dedicating this building in his name, we reaffirm our own dedication to what his leadership represented: tireless work toward a stronger community, the importance of education, the values of our youth and family, responsible leadership and the importance of doing things out of joy and because you just care. For me, this is a very personal message to share with our students. David Zamora was a tremendous support to me over the years, and one of the biggest reasons why I’m now the superintendent of the CJUSD. David took interest in me from the time I was a teacher at CHS. Over the years, all three of his beautiful daughters passed through the system that I was a part of, whether (it was) as a teacher, assistant principal or principal, and he did not let me forget that. He often took time to encourage me, and his professional encouragement was always accompanied by questions about how I was doing and how my family was doing. He emphasized the importance of family and friends and of taking time for those important relationships. He taught me a lot about prioritizing my life, my career, about successfully balancing the things that I was involved in, not only professionally but also personally and with the community. He taught me about doing the right things for the right reasons. As a member of the board of education, he would sometimes call and inquire about concerns or situations where a parent or community member had asked him to intervene, but he always reminded me (that he was) just asking me to check into it, and make sure that his constituents knew that he was working for them, that he was serving them and his community. Over the years, he would call me to ask how I was doing, or just to talk, and that meant a lot to me, because not only did I see him as a board member, but as a personal friend. He was serious about our respective jobs, the school district and the responsibility of public service, but he also liked to joke and laugh.
Permanently dedicating a portion of CHS to David Zamora is a perfect gesture, because his humor, his passion for our community and his life work represents the best of Colton pride, and exactly what we strive to carry with us into our future.
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Roger Kowalski:
David Zamora was a husband, a father, a public servant and, to many, a very good friend. i recently talked to a former board member who served on the school board with David. He said he remembered David as an individual who had his head and his heart in the right place and he was dedicated to the needs of the students and the district. As a former employee, I also remember David as a board member who wanted the answers so that he had the understanding to allow him to make the best possible decisions. When David retired from the City of Colton, he could have enjoyed a life of liesure, but just as he was dedicated to the needs of the student and to the school district, he was also dedicated to the needs of the citizens and the city of Colton. He was elected to the office of mayor in 2010 and until his passing in 2011 he worked vigorously to meet the challenges of his new position. To many, CHS is the heart of the city of Colton. There is no better way to commemorate David Zamora’s service to the school district and to the city than to dedicate the new CHS math and science building in the memory of Mr. David Zamora.
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Summer Zamora Jorrin:
Hello. I know I may be partial, but I think that naming this math and science building after my dad was a great choice. His name looks like it was meant to be up there, and I can’t help but smile when I look at it. I miss my dad and I still struggle on a daily basis having to live without my best friend, but it makes me feel good to know that his service to our school district is being honored and is still appreciated. I know he would be humbled that his name is up for everyone to see, and that we are all here today to celebrate him. This is extra special for our family, since his name is on the building at the high school that my sisters and I are all graduates of. My older sister, in 1995, me in 1999, and my younger sister Alexa in 2007. And while he served as a member of the school board at the time, my dad had the opportunity to present me with my high school diploma and also present my younger sister Alexa with hers. She is extra blessed to have had him also present her 6th grade promotion certificate and jr. high promotion certificate, since the duration of our education in our school district coincided with his tenure on the board. In closing, I wanted to share something my dad used to tell me when I was growing up. He would say, ‘There are three kinds of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, “What happened?” Which kind are you?’ I know we can all agree that my dad was, without a doubt, the kind that made things happen. He led a very proactive and involved life, both in his public life and, more importantly, in his private life as our dad and as papa to his grandkids. He and our mom always encouraged us, with God, anything is possible, and I can still hear him saying, ‘If you think you can, you can.’