It is with sadness that we announce the passing of former Glendale Parks and Recreation Director Henry R. Agonia. He passed away on January 18, 2013 in Sacramento.

Henry was born in Garden Grove, California on May 20, 1942. He dedicated his career to serving the public and protecting parkland. He was respected amongst many and balanced the need to protect parkland and providing space for recreation enthusiasts.

Henry began his career with the City of Garden Grove as a part-time Park Worker in the early 1960’s and was a dedicated employee with the City of Fountain Valley from 1967 to 1971. In 1971, he went to work for the City of Glendale and had a long career carrying him to the level of Director of Parks and Recreation until 1987. Among many of the positive contributions Henry made to Glendale, his legacy with the citizens of our community lies in his vision to begin aggressively acquiring and preserving the remaining open space in the local mountains.

Henry hit the big leagues in 1987 when he went to work for the State of California Parks and Recreation as an appointee by Governor Deukmejian. In 1992, Henry accepted a position with North Bakersfield Recreation and Park District and in 1999, if were not enough, began a new position with the City of Woodland.

Henry Agonia has been very successful in advancing his career within the area of Parks and Recreation, starting as a Park Worker, Gardener, Park Foreman, Park Superintendent, General Manager, Assistant Director, and Director.

Service will be held Friday, January 25th, 2013 in the City of Sacramento at East Lawn Memorial Park located at 43rd & Folsom Blvd.
Visitation: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Service: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, at 10:00 am