Residents of Los Banos, as well as of Twain Harte, are saddened at the passing of Dr. Don Escallier, a long-time pharmacist and Rotarian, who passed away on July 21 at the age of 90. He was born on Oct. 19, 1934, in Los Banos.
A memorial Mass for Escallier will be held in Los Banos at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at St. Joseph’s Church, as well as a 10 a.m. memorial Mass in Twain Harte on Saturday, Sept. 20 at All Saints Catholic Church.
Escallier, before he moved to Twain Harte with his wife Gloria in 2006, was a pharmacist for the hospital in Los Banos, a Los Banos Unified School Board member and Los Banos scoutmaster.
According to Los Banos Rotarian John Spevak, “Don may be remembered most for all he did for the Los Banos Rotary Club, including serving as president, writing the weekly Rotary newsletter and being a Paul Harris Fellow.
“If you were to ask Don what his greatest accomplishment was,” Spevak added, “he would say ‘convincing Gloria to marry me.’ Gloria Anne Paradiso Escallier, married to Don for 65 years, was a successful l businesswoman and active community member in Los Banos.”
Gloria passed away on Dec. 21, 2023.
It may seem unusual to have two memorial Masses offered in two different towns, but according to Tony Whitehurst, Escallier’s friend and fellow Rotarian, “Don made an impact in both places. Even 19 years after he left Los Banos, many community residents remember him fondly.
“Both Don and Gloria were active in service to their community,” Whitehurst added, “believing deeply in service above self. Their legacy in Los Banos lives on.”
