One of America’s Greatest Generation was lost on May 28, 2022, when David Jay Straus died at age 98. David Straus was born on October 4, 1923, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up on the La Cima Ranch, which is now the USAA headquarters. After high school at Texas Military Institute, he went to Dartmouth College. These studies were cut short by World War II.
In April 1943, at age 19, David enlisted in the Marine Corps. After graduating from Officer Candidates School, in Quantico, Virginia, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and he was assigned to the Pacific Theater of WWII. He participated in extensive combat action during the Okinawa Campaign, which was a major battle of the Pacific Theater.
After Okinawa, the First Marine Division was ordered to go to North China. The China Marines were deployed to help with the repatriation of over 600,000 Japanese and Koreans that remained in China after WW II. Returning to the states, he enlisted into the Marine Corps Reserves. During the summers of 1947 and 1949, David Straus went through training exercises at Camp Pendleton, California. In 1948, he went to Amphibious Reconnaissance School at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia. This training was submarine launched.
David Straus was recalled to active duty in 1951 as a First Lieutenant. He attended Junior School, now called Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. David went to Korea and became the Executive Officer of Fox Company, Fifth Marines at The Hook, an outpost crucial in the protection of Seoul. He returned to the U.S. in 1953 and was discharged in 1954 as a Captain.
David Straus’s was a veteran of three wars and he received many decorations and awards including the Bronze Star with the Combat V; Combat Action Ribbon – Okinawa and Korea; American Campaign Medal – WWII; National Defense Service Medal – WWII; World War II Victory Medal; Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with Stars – Okinawa and Korea; Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; China Service Medal; Republic of China Medal; China War Memorial Medal; Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon – Korea; United Nations Service Medal – Korea; Republic of Korea War Service Medal; Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal;
Asiatic – Pacific Campaign Medal with Star – Okinawa; Korean Service Campaign Medal – 2 Stars for Outpost Battles 1952 and Third Star for Korean Winter, 1952 and 1953. He had a lifelong commitment to support the military community.
Another source of pride for David Straus was his involvement with the commercial development of the San Antonio River Walk. In 1959, David Straus was appointed to chair a new committee to develop the river into a tourist destination and to create a master plan for the River Walk. This committee was called the Tourist Attractions Committee and he chaired this committee for 9 years. David framed an ordinance with a goal of maintaining the “Old San Antonio” charm along the river walk. He was the founding member and Chairman Emeritus of the San Antonio Riverwalk Commission. They reviewed building permits and development along the river. He also wrote a Policy Manual which became the basis of the Master Plan for the River Walk. He worked with the Riverwalk Commission for over 30 years. In 1964, he formed another committee, the Paseo del Rio Association, to serve businesses along the river. David paid for a prototype barge to be designed and built for river travel. He invited the Mayor and the City Council to eat a Casa Rio lunch on the barge. After this meal, the river boats began to operate on the river. His efforts to conceive the project, to develop the plan, to establish controls to retain the river’s unique atmosphere, and to aggressively continue to push forward, in spite of early apathy, has been recognized by numerous awards: Texas Society of Architects Award – Citation for River Project; SA Advertising Club Award; Paseo Del Rio Association Award; SA Chapter AIA Award; SA Conservation Society Award – Citation for Service to SA River Walk; A Proclamation from the City of San Antonio; Benefactor de la Comunidad, City of San Antonio; Master Publicist Award – SA Advertising Club, Chairman Emeritus of the River Walk Commission and the Robert H.H. Hugman Award.
David Straus was very active with other civic groups and programs. David was President of the Chamber of Commerce in 1968, the year of the World’s Fair – HemisFair’68. He worked with the Alamo Area Council Boy Scouts, Centro 21 Commission – City of San Antonio, The Convention Bureau Advisory Committee, The Fiesta San Antonio Commission, The Historic Civic Center Task Force, TMI, United Way, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Foundation, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio Bi-Centennial Executive Committee, Texas Folklife Festival, San Antonio Economic Development Foundation – Director Executive Committee, and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. He was the founding President of Club Giraud. He became a Director Emeritus and Life Member with the San Antonio Livestock Exposition.
David was the third generation to lead the Straus – Frank Company, a wholesale distribution business, which started in San Antonio in 1870. David Straus worked with the company for over 58 years and ran the company for over 40 years. David was involved in many other businesses including farming, ranching and the restaurant business. He developed real estate through several partnerships, and some of the properties were located along the SA River. His banking business experiences started with the purchase of Mission City Bank and it was renamed The Bank of San Antonio. He was on the Board of Directors for the Frost National Bank, Bank of San Antonio, Lone Star Brewing Company, Red Arrow Securities Corporation, the San Antonio Spurs, Retama Park Racetrack, Strafco Inc., and General Parts Inc. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award and served on the Board of Trustees for Trinity University.
His many hobbies included playing golf, snow skiing, deer and bird hunting in South Texas or fishing at the coast. He also enjoyed fly fishing in Colorado and Wyoming. He always had a Garden and grew all types of vegetables. He called himself a Master in Charcuterie, which is sausage making. He built a smoke house at the family ranch and had a get together every year where the participants made sausage from the many recipes in his Sausage Making Book. (If he liked something, he would write a book about it.) He has over 80 sausage recipes and he suggested a floor plan for a sausage kitchen and smoke house. There would always be a chuck wagon cook working over an open fire, so everyone enjoyed the occasion. He had an appreciation of good food and doing something fun with his family and friends.
He was a member of the San Antonio German Club, Texas Cavaliers, The Order of the Alamo, the Town Club, Club Giraud, San Antonio Country Club, China Marine Association, First Marine Division Association, Marine Corps Mustang Association, Temple Beth – El, Retama Turf and Field Club, Texas Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Texas Hereford Association and St. Charles Bay Hunting Club.
Honorary Pall Bearers are David Straus IV, Jacob Straus, Collin Straus, Perry Straus, Steve Straus Jr., Joe Straus III, Temple Sloan Jr., Red McCombs, Dan Sussen, Joe Haynes, Pete Selig, Tres Kleberg, David Oppenheimer, Major General Joe McMonagle, and Richard Morgan.
David is survived by his wife Deborah “Debbie” Straus; his sons, David Straus III and his wife Jan, Fredric A. Straus and his wife Cary, Steven Straus, and Daniel Straus; his brother, Joe Straus Jr.; his grandchildren, Natalie Straus, Renee Bous and her husband Alex Bous, Selia Straus, Alyse Sellers and her husband Webb Sellers, Steven Straus Jr., Collin Straus and his wife Emma Straus, Alexandra Straus, Perry Straus, David Straus IV, Jesse Carter and her husband Ben Carter, and Jacob Straus; his six great grandchildren, Aria Bous, Emilie Sellers, Porter Sellers, Collin Anthony Straus II, Georgia Carter and Lucas Saks. David was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Emily Straus.
The family would like to thank Manuela Villa Gomez, Carmen Villareal, Cheezy “The Big Guy”, Maria E. and Laura Henderson for the care and support they gave to David. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the National Museum of the Pacific War (Fredericksburg, Texas), 311 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624, the Marine Military Academy (Harlingen, Texas), 320 Iwo Jima Blvd., Harlingen, Texas 78550, or a charity of one’s choice.
Published by Porter Loring Mortuary North on May 30, 2022.
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