Friends and family of Daniel Remy, a former mayor of Burbank who died this week, described him as an avid golfer who was deeply invested in the welfare of his local community.
Daniel Remy, who twice led the city of Burbank as its mayor and helped launch an annual fundraising golf event, died this week, according to his son.
Remy was a Burbank City Council member from 1977 to 1985, and served as the city’s mayor from 1970 to 1980 and 1984 to 1985. He was a strong advocate of local development and, according to his friends, was an avid golfer, running tournaments for the local Kiwanis Club, for which he was a past president and established a scholarships program.
Remy died on Monday, according to his son Daniel Remy Jr. He was 86.
The younger Remy described him as a great father, explaining he coached his sons’ baseball team when they lived in Burbank. He had three children — Kevin, Kathleen and Daniel Remy Jr. — and eight grandchildren.
“Those that met him, he was a guy that got stuff done,” the younger Remy said. “And I think that’s why people liked him. … He’ll be missed.”
A Lockheed Corp. executive, Remy was a strong advocate for the Hollywood Burbank Airport, his son added. He convinced his company to donate a F-104 Starfighter to the city, said his fellow former Mayor Larry Stamper. The plane remains located at George Izay Park.
As a council member, Stamper said, Remy was a strong leader who was intensely proud of his city and worked to bring development projects to Burbank’s downtown area. Stamper credits Remy with mentoring him while they were on the City Council, saying his colleague taught him more than any of his college professors.
Dan Remy (top, third from right) poses with his fellow former Burbank mayors at the 2006 Mayor’s Cup golf tournament — a fundraising event he helped create. Front row: Lee Ayers, Marsha Ramos, Mary Lou Howard and Vince Stefano. Back: Bill Rudell, Michael Hastings, David Laurell, Jef Vander Borght, Dan Remy, Larry Stamper and Dave Golonski.
Remy also enjoyed sitting back with a cigar, Stamper added, and was very competitive — particularly when playing golf.
“He was a total character,” Stamper said. He was like a boy still playing games. … And everything that he did was done with class.”
But golf wasn’t just fun for Remy — it also provided a way for him to fundraise for the community. Chuck Herron, a former city employee who befriended Remy while they were in the Kiwanis Club, praised his involvement in planning the organization’s Mayor’s Cup golf tournament, which raised funds for the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club.
“He was a tough guy, he had a heart of gold and he was truly, truly a great friend,” Herron said.
Remy was supported greatly in his civic life, his son said, by his first wife Dottie and his second wife Mel. After decades of working closely with the Burbank community, he moved to Arizona in the mid-2000s.
Even after retiring, Remy remained very athletic, according to his longtime friend Walt Bebrich. The pair, who met while on a trip to the Colorado River, enjoyed water-skiing at Lake Tahoe and golfed together regularly.
“He had a good ride, and he was well-noted and well-liked by most,” Bebrich said.
