City honors beloved Davisite with memorial service

[wzslider autoplay=”true” info=”true” lightbox=”true”]

By Nathan Curtis,
Bluedevilhub.com Editor–

A memorial service was held for our beloved community member Floyd Fenocchio at the Brunelle Performance Hall on Saturday, Jan. 30. Family, friends, teachers, DJUSD officials, classmates from Fenocchio’s alma mater Clarksburg High School, and more attended the memorial, filling up almost every seat in the theater. Known for his work as DJUSD superintendent and his constant smile, Fenocchio passed away peacefully on Dec. 31, 2014.

“Some people make you feel better just knowing them, and Floyd was one of those people.” – Lisa D’Angelo, baseball parent

The memorial was hosted by Davis Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning, who made clear right from the beginning that “this was a celebration” of Fenocchio’s life. Many of Fenocchio’s family members and close friends took the podium to share their memories with Fenocchio throughout his life.

It was fitting, then, that the memorial began with a fun and emotional glimpse into Fenocchio’s childhood with a speech by Fenocchio’s brother, Don Fenocchio. Don was Floyd’s best friend despite being five years older. He highlighted the small details of Floyd’s toddler days, like how Floyd would ride his tricycle full speed into the couch in hopes of flipping over the handlebars onto the cushions. Don told us that later, as Floyd became more adventurous, he would ride that same tricycle on the porch and see how close he could get to the edge without falling off.

Fenocchio played the guitar and loved music, so the memorial featured several musical performances. Family friends Stacy and Keith Looney performed a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and the Davis High Advanced Treble Choir and Madrigals performed as well. In fact, the ATC and Madrigals are two among many groups and programs that Floyd supported while DJUSD superintendent.

“From the onset, it was clear that he was an outstanding educator.”- Darrel Taylor, former DJUSD superintendent and friend of Fenocchio

A large portion of the memorial focused on Fenocchio’s legacy as superintendent. After serving as principal of West Davis Intermediate School (now Willett Elementary School), Fenocchio was promoted to deputy superintendent from 1978 to 1982. He then served as Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services from 1982 to 1996. During this time, the school district began having problems.

“When the district was having problems, it was terrible. The morale was so bad that we let go of the superintendent and asked Floyd to step up because he was the only one that the district trusted,” said Fenocchio’s friend Ruth Asmundson, former school board member and former Davis mayor. Fenocchio stepped in as interim superintendent and managed to revive the district from its period of turmoil.

Fenocchio continued to do everything in his power to support the students. He spearheaded the movement to give West Davis Elementary School (now Cesar Chavez Elementary) a Spanish immersion program. He was also a strong supporter of art and music programs at DHS, and according to varsity baseball coach Dan Ariola, the baseball diamond would not have a fence around it if it weren’t for Fenocchio. He was officially appointed superintendent in 1996 and served until his retirement in 1998.

Fenocchio was elected into the DHS Blue and White Foundation Hall of Fame in 2012 because of his efforts while superintendent. According to Dunning, it took him 15 minutes to reach the podium because everyone wanted to shake his hand.

“He was always nice to everybody. He always thought about someone else before he thought about himself.”- Junior Daniel Henrickson, Fenocchio’s grandson

The last people to speak at the memorial were Fenocchio’s two children, Dan Fenocchio and Dianne Henrickson. Offering the audience a heartfelt speech, they made sure everyone knew that even though Floyd left the Earth, he still lives on through each Davis student he has helped.

“[Floyd leaves a legacy of] hard work, trying your best, integrity… I think those were the things he really cared the most about. He helped start a lot of programs that really were all about the students. We focused on the baseball, but he was also about academics, music, arts, and everything for the students,” Henrickson said.

The memorial concluded in the most fitting way possible. To combine Fenocchio’s loves for music and baseball, the audience all stood together to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” The audience coming together to sing the upbeat tune is exactly what Fenocchio would’ve loved to see.

In the very final words of Dunning, “There is much more baseball to be played and life to live.”

“He’s left a legacy of kindness, caring, and love for everyone. He accepted everyone for who they are, and he made everyone feel valued as part of a team and left their lives better.”- Linda Winter, Fenocchio’s companion