NEWS
Melisa Lovos Palacios
Features Editor
Member of the high school Alumni Association, coach, and mentor at Hollywood High School, David Moreno, passed away at the age of 81 on Nov. 12 of this year, at his home in Hollywood Hills.
In the years 1986 to 1996, Moreno was an assistant baseball coach and mentor, the same years that current SAS Counselor, Raul Grijalva worked as a cross country and varsity baseball coach. Working in similar positions, Moreno and Grijalva became close friends, eating lunch together at least once a week and having conversations about the students, politics, and life in general.
“One thing I have learned through his loss is that we all have to enjoy every day that we share with friends,” said Grijalva.
Not only was he supportive of the school’s team, but he also owned a sporting goods store in the 80s and 90s as a vendor for athletic equipment. Around the same time, two of Moreno’s daughters also graduated from Hollywood High School.
Moreno served as president of the Alumni Association and created an Alumni Association Scholarship fund in the name of his late wife, Jackie Gillette Moreno. He used his free time to mentor students, offering them personal and academic advice and support for many years. He offered financial assistance to seniors who had economic difficulties and couldn’t afford to participate in senior activities.
“With Dave Moreno’s influence and leadership, our baseball and cross country teams turned out many young student-athletes who became assistant principals and counselors in our district, as well as managers in various business fields, and even one individual, who is now a television broadcaster for Chicago news station,” said Grijalva.
He worked with the current Alumni Association President, Susan Silvestri, and Samuel Dovlatian, the current Assistant Principal by cleaning, organizing, and reconfiguring the Hollywood High School Museum to its current layout.
“Dave was instrumental in providing support, guidance, and direction as we sifted through yearbooks, articles, clothing, pictures, paintings, posters, awards, mannequins, and plaques. He wanted to ensure that future Sheiks knew and understood what it meant to be a Sheik, appreciated the history of the school, and realized the accomplishments of so many of the alumni,” said Dovlatian.
With everything that Moreno has done to help Hollywood High and the community of students, let’s appreciate and remember the great friend, mentor, and coach that he was, with all the assistance he provided throughout the years of his life.
Dave was a good man, who despite many unnecessary obstacles tossed in his way, worked hard to create a permanent home for the alumni association. Let us all work together to realize that dream. An enthusiastic and involved alumni association would greatly benefit the students of Hollywood high. There is a strong, wise group of alumni who would love to mentor, sponsor and advise recent graduates, let’s get going sheiks! We need to all honor the man and his progressive ideals.
RIP David Moreno.