Résumé

School Bus Driver, Los Angeles, CA, 1940. He drove a school bus at age 19, following his high school graduation, as per the 1940 US Census.

Apprentice Carpenter, Myer Brothers Contractors, San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA, 07/01/1941.

Commander, US Navy, World War II.

Principal, Austin W. Daly, Architect, Long Beach, CA, 1953-1954. In 1953, Daly had his architectural office at 251 East 1st Street, Room #9, in Long Beach. (See Long Beach, California, City Directory, Classified Business Directory, 1953, p. 5.) He moved to Room #11 in 1954. (See Long Beach, California, City Directory, Classified Business Directory, 1954, p. 5.)

Partner, Powers, Daly, and DeRosa, Architects, Long Beach, CA, 1955-1964. This firm had a specialty of designing bowling alleys. Between 1955 and 1959, this firm had an office at 3667 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, CA. (SeeLong Beach, California, City Directory, Classified Business Directory, 1955, p. 6 and Long Beach, California, City Directory, 1964, p. 80.)

Partner, DeRosa and Daly, Architects, Long Beach, CA, 1965- c. 1970 . DeRosa and Daly continued to occupy the 3667 Atlantic Avenue office in 1965. (See Long Beach, California, City Directory, 1965, p. 84.)

Principal, A.W. Daly, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1970. In 1970, Daly had an office at 9013 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. (See American Architects Directory, 1970, John F. Gane, ed., [New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1970], p. 199.)

Professional Activities

Daly joined the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1969.

Relocation

Austin Walter Daly was born in Portland, OR, in 1920. At this time, Austin's father Walter worked as a ship fitter in a Portland yard. When the 1920 US Census was taken on 01/06/1920, before Austin's birth, his parents lived at 1090 East 15th Street North. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Portland, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T625_1503; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 169, accessed 10/20/2021.)

The Dalys moved to Southern CA before 1930. The US Census of 1930 listed the family living at 3500 Kerckhoff Avenue in Los Angeles, the dwelling having an estimated value of $5,000, about average for the neighborhood and city. (See Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0603; FHL microfilm: 2339891, accessed 10/20/2021.)

They continued to reside here in 1940, albeit with one more child living at home. At this time, the estimated value of the house had dipped to $4,000, again in line with neighboring dwellings. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00432; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 60-1299, accessed 10/20/2021.) He continued to reside at home when he registered for military service during World War II on 07/01/1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 414, accessed 10/20/2021.)

He and his wife had a house at 421 South Wilmington Avenue in Compton, CA, in 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 10/20/2021.)

Between 1953 and 1959, at least, Daly and his wife Anna, resided in the Los Angeles neighborhood of San Pedro. San Pedro, along with Long Beach, served as the primary ports for incoming goods shipped into Southern CA. They dwelled at 1160 13th Street between 1957 and 1959. (See San Pedro, California, City Directory, 1957, p. 171 and San Pedro, California, City Directory, 1959, p. 115.)

He resided in Newport Beach, CA, between 1995 and 1997, at least.

Daly passed away at the age of 86 in Orange County, CA, and was buried in the Riverside National Cemetery, a national veterans' cemetery, in Riverside, CA.

Parents

His mother was Ellen "Nellie" Darby (born 11/12/1893 in England-d. 08/27/1987 in Los Angeles, CA), his father, Walter Thomas Daly (born 12/07/1893 in Chippewa Falls, WI-d. 02/20/1980 in Los Angeles County, CA). Nellie came to the US from England aboard the Cunard liner R.M.S. Franconia #1, traveling between Liverpool and Boston, MA, arriving in the latter city on 12/07/1911. She likely had been raised in Liverpool, as an immigration document recorded that she had attended Saint Anne's Priory, Edgehill, a Catholic school in Liverpool. She travelled with her younger brother Austin (born c. 1898 in England), likely the namesake of the architect. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number: 4319742; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: T843; NARA Roll Number: 173, accessed 10/20/2021.) As noted in the 1930 US Census, she had been naturalized by that time. The US Censuses of 1930 and 1940 indicated that she managed the household. By the latter date, she had had three children, including Kathleen M. Daly Hodnet (born c. 1922 in OR) and Lawrence Edward Daly (born 06/05/1936 in Los Angeles County, CA). Lawrence was considerably younger than either Austin or Kathleen, having been born 16 years after the architect.

Walter was enlisted in the US Navy between 02/01/1918 and 12/23/1918 during World War I and worked as a carpenter for a general contracting company in 1940. (See (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, accessed 10/202/2021 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00432; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 60-1299, accessed 10/20/2021.) By about 1942, he had found work with the Los Angeles Harbor Department, and became a foreman for this agency by 1957. (See San Pedro, California, City Directory, 1957, p. 171.)

Both of his parents had completed high school according to the 1940 US Census.

Spouse

He wed Anna Frances DiRocco (born 08/04/1921 in CA-d. 01/10/1994 in Los Angeles, CA) on 08/19/1942 in CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images. Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017, accessed 10/20/2021.)

Twenty-nine years later, he and Anna divorced in 10/1971 in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 10/20/2021.)

He then married Shirley Jane Bridgeman (born 08/03/1925 in Oconto Falls, WI-d. 10/27/2010 in Orange County, CA) on 09/11/1976. She was 51, he, 56. She had been married once before to John Travis Lafollette (1922-1990). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 10/20/2021.) Her parents were Frank James Bridgeman (born 11/13/1901 in IA-d. 04/17/1984 in Los Angeles, CA) and Elsie Gladys Grunst (born 01/14/1902-d. 01/07/1962 in Los Angeles, CA). They resided in Cleveland, OH, in 1935, and Los Angeles by 1940. He sold "wholesale munitions" according to the US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00407; Page: 33B; Enumeration District: 60-222, accessed 10/20/2021.)

Biographical Notes

Daly was Caucasian with a light complexion, according to his World War II draft card. He was big man, standing 6-foot, 4-inches tall and weighing 195 pounds at age 21. He had hazel eyes and black hair, and possessed a slight scar in his right eyebrow and one on the left of his chin. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 414, accessed 10/20/2021.)

In 1950, he was a registered Democrat in voter rolls. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 10/20/2021.)

SSN: 551122374.