Austin American-Statesman
   March 12, 2006

Dario "Dee" Herrera

When this old world is blown asunder And all the stars fall from the sky Remember someone really loves you We'll live forever you and I Dario "Dee" Herrera, 66, passed away in Dallas on March 7, 2006, but will indeed live forever in the hearts of his beloved family and friends. Dee fought a heroic battle against diabetes, losing both legs in the process, but found great strength in adversity. He became an advocate for Latino amputees, offering practical as well as moral support to amputees from as far away as South America. Thanks to Dee's efforts, a man in Peru now walks wearing a used prosthetic leg from Dallas. During last year's Amputee Coalition of America conference in Dallas, Dee helped arrange transportation for a local amputee support group's trip to the Hard Rock Cafe. He urged others to be tested early for diabetes, telling friends: "If I could save just one person from losing their legs, losing mine will have been worth it". A life-long Texas music fan and fledgling lyricist, Dee came alive at concerts. Anyone who has ever sat next to him as he sang along at a Billy Joe Shaver concert or a Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic would vouch for that. There was also no mistaking the love he had for his country: an American flag was drawn on each of his prosthetic legs. That patriotism exhibited itself early in life. As a four- year-old during World War II, his mother would take him to downtown Dallas where uniformed soldiers gathered. Each time Dee saw the American flag, he would salute it and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Impressed with his unerring memory and youthful patriotism, the soldiers would reward the bright, handsome child with coins. His passion for music and his country was exceeded only by the love he had for his family: son John Herrera and his wife Lynn, grandsons J.R. and J.D., and sister Coni. A celebration of Dee's life will be held on March 19, 2006, at Poodie's Hilltop Bar and Grill in Spicewood. In lieu of flowers, Dee's family asks donations be made to the American Diabetes Foundation, or to a college trust fund being established for his grandsons.