| Graduation Year | Class of 1962 |
| Date of Birth | Apr 13, 1944 |
| Date of Passing | May 08, 2023 |
| About | Carl S. Chavez, only son of Salomon and Josefita Chavez, was born April 13, 1944 and passed away May 8, 2023. Carl grew up in El Cajon and graduated from Grossmont High School in 1962. He attended San Diego State University for one year before transferring to Humboldt State College, majoring in natural resource interpretation, and graduated in 1966. Carl married Margaret Elmore of Forestville (Sonoma County) in 1965. After they moved to Bodie, Carl and Margaret had two children. Daughter Abigail, also a California state park ranger, who passed away in 1996, and Christopher Chavez, formerly a teacher and now active with a private fish hatchery. Carl had an eventful 33-year career as a park ranger/administrator with the California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, with assignments all over the state. He worked his way up through the parks at places such as Morro Bay, Cuyamaca Rancho and Plumas Eureka State Parks before moving to the redwoods in 1979 as the manager of Humboldt Redwoods. He was the recipient of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s first “Superintendent of the Year” award in 1985. After finishing his career in Sacramento as the Northern Division chief for all parks in 1998, he and Margaret retired to the town of Graeagle in Plumas County where he enjoyed fly fishing and playing tennis. He and Margaret traveled extensively, mostly in Europe, visiting more than 40 countries. Carl wrote an interesting book about his park experiences entitled “A Pathway Through Parks.” He and Margaret wrote a second book: “A Year in Bodie: A Park Ranger’s Diary,” describing their experiences living in an historic ghost town. In 2020, Carl and Margaret moved to Pennsylvania to live next door to his son, Chris, and family. They were able to spend a lot of quality time together these past few years. He is survived by his son Christopher Chavez (Jacquline); grandchildren Cody and Hailey Cushenberry and Samantha Chavez; great-grandchild Dominic Toscano; 3 surviving sisters Joanne Ralston, Victoria Thomas and Linda Peacock; 10 nieces and 2 surviving nephews. His beloved wife, Margaret, passed away in February 2023. |
