So since I didnt have my act together with the paper down in El Centro for the Sunday edition (it looks like Tuesday now)... Darold “Wimpy” Horton, January 31, 1930 – January 16, 2014 Born in Dinuba, CA, to Daron Horton and the former Opal Stanley. Before he was a year old his family, which included older brother Leslie, moved to El Centro. Wimpy attended El Centro schools where he met his two oldest friends, Doug Harvey and Clarence Nickel. He eventually graduated from Central Union High School (CUHS) in 1948. He later attended El Centro Junior College, playing football and was part of their South Central Conference Championship team, along with Doug, Clarence, Babe Henry, Emmett Henry, Red McKenzie and Dallas Crabtree. He was a true blue Spartan on and off the field all his life; nevertheless Wimpy was smitten by a fetching young Wildcat, the former Elaine Whitted. They eventually married in November of 1951, raising Leslie Daron, Barbara Jeanne and David William. An avid outdoorsman since he was child, Wimpy enjoyed hunting and fishing on both sides of the border, along with any swapping of lies that came with them. One of his exploits came on Christmas Day hunting with Bill Riddle in the morning, then coming home to help his children open their presents. In his later years, he limited his outdoorsmanship to fishing with Mel Lamoreaux, Jerry Witmer, Neil Wray and Ray Duggins. After Elaine’s passing in 1998, Wimpy eventually found love again with his re-acquaintance with Barbara Livernois at a CUHS reunion. They became companions (much to the quiet amusement of the rest of the Livernois tribe), traveling together until her death in 2011. Wimpy is preceded in death by his father Daron, mother Opal, brother Leslie B., wife Elaine, son Les, daughter Barbara and companion Barbara Livernois. He is survived by his son David (Monica) of San Diego with grandsons Sean and Dylan, sister-in-law Shirley (Dick) Dillon of Holtville, niece Andrea (David) Atencio of Albuquerque, nephew Scott (Lisa) Dillon of Los Alamitos, son-in-law Tom Wyer of El Centro with sons Tommy of San Diego and Travis (Hillary) of Oakland, CA, great nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws and outlaws, and not the least, all of his friends, which at times seemed like half the Imperial Valley to his children. Wimpy is to be cremated, with his ashes interned at Evergreen Cemetery. No maudlin funeral for him, his life is to be celebrated on Friday, January 31st (Yup, that is his birthday) at the Plaza Cultura Building, Imperial Valley Expo, starting at 6:00 p.m. Please bring your Wimpy stories, whether true or not, to share with others. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the CUHS Athletic Program, in care of Vero Lopez, at 1001 Brighton Ave., El Centro, CA 92243.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 19:05:02 +0000
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