William Dannemeyer obit

Bill Dannemeyer Obituary

 

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September 22, 1929 - July 9, 2019 Former Orange County Congressman Bill Dannemeyer died July 9, 2019 at the age of 89. He will be remembered as a fearless advocate of conservative principles. He never avoided controversy and always kept his sense of humor. His smile and charm pierced those of his opponents who looked behind the headlines to see that his positions stemmed from his heart-felt Christian faith and fiscal conservatism. He boldly served, earning him respect and friendship from both sides of the aisle. His family (wife, 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren) will remember his easy laugh, love of the outdoors, gin rummy acumen, and the special joy he felt from being surrounded by family. He was always encouraging and supportive. He demonstrated a philanthropic heart and a generous spirit that recognized what a privilege it is to be in a position to serve others. He used his gifts to the fullest. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 3:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 222 N. East St., Anaheim. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Orange Lutheran High School and Valparaiso University.

He served seven terms as U.S. Representative from the 39th Congressional District of California from 1979 to 1993.

Dannemeyer was born in Long Beach, California, to German immigrants, Charlotte Ernestine (Knapp) and Henry William Dannemeyer. He attended Trinity Lutheran School in Los Angeles and Long Beach Poly High School. An Eagle Scout, Dannemeyer received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He entered Santa Maria Junior College in 1947 before transferring to Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He graduated from "Valpo" in 1950 and earned a J.D. at Hastings College of the Law of the University of California in 1952.

From 1952 to 1954 he served in the United States Army in the Counter Intelligence Corps during and after the Korean War.

Dannemeyer began practicing law in Santa Barbara in 1955, serving concurrently as a Santa Barbara County deputy district attorney. He moved to Fullerton in 1959 to become the assistant city attorney. He was elected originally as a Democrat to the California State Assembly in 1962 and was re-elected in 1964 when he was also a member of the Electoral College, casting his vote for Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 United States presidential election.

Instead of seeking re-election to the Assembly in 1966, he made a failed bid for a seat in the California State Senate. He then became a judge pro tempore of the municipal and superior courts from 1966–1976. In 1968, he appeared on a television show hosted by fellow future Congressman Bob Dornan to announce that he was leaving the Democratic Party to become a Republican. He would win election to the Assembly for a final term in 1976 as a Republican.

In November 1978, Dannemeyer was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives, and returned for six additional terms. He accumulated a strongly conservative record on the Budget, Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce Committees, supporting legislation to suppress illegal immigration, restrict telephone sex lines, and criminalize flag desecration.

He attempted to block federal funding of evolution-related exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution in 1982, and pushed for easing the separation of church and state. On fiscal issues, he advocated budget cuts for social programs, renegotiation of the national debt, tax reduction, and deregulation. He was the lead Republican sponsor of the 1985 deregulation of natural gas prices. In 1989, he was one of the successful House managers in the impeachment trial of then-Judge Walter Nixon for committing perjury in front of a grand jury. In 1990 he was one of twenty representatives to vote against the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dannemeyer was an outspoken critic of LGBT rights, and on June 29, 1989, read a graphic description of gay sex into the Congressional Record titled "What Homosexuals Do