Supervisors adjourn meeting in memory of Ross Daily

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors adjourned their September 16 meeting in memory of Ross Daily, who passed away August 7 at the age of 92.

“Ross Daily was a true patriot,” said Supervisor Bill Horn, who read the adjournment in memory. “He was a loved and generous man.”

Daily, the third of 11 children, was born on October 17, 1915, in New Hampton, MO. He moved to Los Angeles in 1936 and married his first wife, Helen, in 1937.

Shortly after the beginning of World War II, Daily invented a machine in his garage to sharpen saws for airplanes. Because of the value of his service to military aircraft, he did not serve in the military.

Daily Saw Service was based in Southgate and eventually became a partnership when Daily was joined by one of his brothers. Daily Saw Service was sold in the mid-1970s.

Daily built a house in Rainbow in 1957 and was a founder of the Rainbow Municipal Water District as well as one of the initial directors.

Daily purchased 500 acres in De Luz in 1958. He built the roads in De Luz Heights and reached an agreement with San Diego Gas & Electric to provide electricity service to De Luz Heights.

Daily also built Ross Lake and maintained its operation until his death. He also initiated an annual community picnic at the lake.

“I’m glad I was there to see Ross this July,” Horn said.

Daily also founded the De Luz Heights Municipal Water District and served on the district board until it merged with the Fallbrook Public Utility District in 1990.

After the County of San Diego ended its contract with the state for fire service, the De Luz Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1975. Daily’s son-in-law, Bill Rose, was the first fire chief, while Daily participated and also built the first fire station on the end of the Roses’ property.

“If it hadn’t been for him, the De Luz Fire Department, which has saved many homes, would have never been started,” Horn said.

Daily also worked with the county to create County Service Area No. 20, which (under its current status as a Permanent Road Division zone) covers 19.4 miles of road in De Luz and provides road repair for Daily Road and other roads in De Luz Heights along with maintenance of nine street lights. Daily was still the advisory committee president at the time of his death.

Daily also served on the county’s Planning Commission from 1968 to 1979 and was on the board of directors of Torrey Pines Bank and Southwest Bank. He grew avocados and citrus on his De Luz property.

Daily is survived by daughters Joan Rose and Lynda Dubreuil, sons-in-law Bill Rose and Mark Dubreuil, two brothers, two sisters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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