Donato Salazar Brambila came to his rest on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004, at Prescott, Arizona’s Veteran’s Hospital. Donato was born on Oct. 16, 1923, in Mayer, to Juan and Reyes Brambila.
He attended Lincoln Elementary School in Prescott. After only three weeks in the eighth grade, he entered military service. He served his country from 1942 to 1946 in the elite 82nd Airborne Division, 504th regiment of the U.S. Army. He was a “Devil in Baggy Pants.” Donato received seven major campaign medals and the Guerre de France Braid. He was a member of General Dwight Eisenhower’s military honor guard in Berlin, Germany, when American forces secured the city. He returned from the European Theatre on the Queen Mary transport ship and marched 95 blocks in the New York City Victory Parade.
Mr. Brambila was married April 4, 1946. He and Sophia Brambila were dedicatedly married for 57 years. Together they built a beautiful life.
Donato worked in the mill in Bagdad and in the underground mines in Superior and Prescott’s Iron King. He did so from 1946 to 1959.
He started his first Mexican restaurant in 1959 as The El Charro Cafe on Sheldon Street. He later moved to Montezuma Street into The Brick Meyer Hotel. In 1970, he opened El Charro Restaurant in Sun City. In 1972, he opened The El Chaparral Restaurant at the old J.R. Williams grocery store on Miller Valley Road. His business acumen was respected. He also served on the Prescott City Council where he expressed this gift responsibly. Over the course of years, he was involved in other various business ventures locally and in Utah and Washington State. He was also involved in L.U.L.A.C.
Donato Salazar Brambila was especially and wonderfully blessed with his children, Agnes (Keith), Danny, Mike (Elva), Debbie (Rudy), and Kenneth (Kerry); nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.,BR>
Donato was preceded in death by Reyes Brambila, his mother; sister, Irma; and grandson, Bryce.
He is also survived by his beloved sister, Nallie Gonzales, and beloved older brother, John Brambila. The Brambila family is also indebted to the years of dedicated family service to Donato by Maria de Jesus Ortega.
The visitation will be held Friday, Dec. 10th, from 5 to 8 p.m., with a Rosary at 7 p.m., at Heritage Memory Mortuary at 131 Grove Avenue, in Prescott.
Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 11th, at 11:30 a.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Fleury Ave., in Prescott, with burial to follow at Mountain View Cemetery, 1051 Willow Creek Rd., in Prescott.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Donato’s name to The Diabetes Foundation, (800) 342-2383 and/or The American Heart Foundation, (800) 242-8721 in Prescott.
Services entrusted to Heritage Memory Mortuary.