Fowler mayor dies at age 67. He is remembered for his church and community work
Fowler Mayor David Cardenas died Friday night, leaving friends and family reeling from the loss of a pillar of the community and church.
He was 67.
Cardenas ran Dave’s Auto Service in Fowler for decades and died of a heart attack.
He was mayor for about 12 years and on the City Council for 21 years. He was a member of just about every community organization around, from his local Lions Club to the Fresno Council of Government’s policy board, which he chaired.
He leaves behind his wife of 41 years, Anna, and children Joseph David, Josephine and Michael Cardenas. He has two grandsons and three granddaughters.
“It is a very sad day for Fowler,” said Irma Trujillo, a friend and office manager of St. Lucy’s Catholic Church in Fowler, where Cardenas was also an administrator.
Cardenas was known for helping out, whether it was in an official capacity or not.
When boys in Fowler got in trouble with the law and needed to do community service, he would connect them to widows in Fowler, so they could mow their lawns, his daughter Josephine said.
“I think that my dad was a godly man, and he was a servant of his community and his family,” she said. “He cared very deeply about every single one of his customers at Dave’s Auto.”
Born in Michoacán in Mexico, he moved to Fowler when he was 14 via the Imperial Valley. Cardenas told The Bee in 2019 that his father moved them to Fowler because farm workers here picked grapes standing, as opposed to crops that required bending over using a cortito (short-handed hoe).
His father wanted a better life for his children.
A young Cardenas recounted how he had something to say about that: “Dad, who says we’re going to be working in the fields all the time? You always told us to go to school and get an education.”
Cardenas was a right-hand man to the priest at his church, helping the Korean priest understand the Latino community, family said.
Trujillo, a single mom, said Cardenas was always helping her out.
“I always told him, ‘You’re my angel,’” she said. “I’m sure a lot of people considered him that.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe grotto
He was president of the Guadalupana Society at his church. He spearheaded a project to build a grotto next door honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
He oversaw the fundraising and took trips to Mexico to help bring a statue of her to the church. A large gazebo-like structure with lighting was built around the statue.
The priest has asked that the grotto be open for nine days for mourning.
Mayors from around the central San Joaquin Valley took to social media to honor Cardenas.
Said Clovis Mayor Jose Flores: “David wanted to ensure that the people of Fresno County had the best transportation opportunities for education, jobs, recreation, and the movement of goods and services.”
Like many politicians, Cardenas’ time as mayor wasn’t without controversy.
He was mayor when a Fresno County Grand Jury report criticized the city’s former police chief and City Council for a backlog of hundreds of cases that weren’t filed with the District Attorney’s Office.
But Cardenas was also a key player in making Fowler and Fresno County a better place. He promoted a free, virtual pre-school in 2019, walking up to families on the street.
He advocated for water storage that would bring more clean water to the cities and farmlands, said Flores in his post. And as an immigrant, he also worked to improve the immigration system.
Funeral services are still being planned but will be at St. Lucy’s.
Said Trujillo, from his church: “He leaves big shoes and I don’t know who’s going to fill those.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 3:20 PM.