A class of students from Bill Libbon Elementary School braved heavy rain on Monday to show their appreciation for the public service of Joseph “Joe” Centeno, Santa Maria’s former police chief, mayor and county supervisor.
Centeno died Oct. 14 at the age of 86 and a funeral Mass and burial occurred Monday.
Mid-morning, the students in Kenji Matsuoka’s third-grade class showed up at the entrance to the Santa Maria Cemetery’s original section to wave flags and hold signs in appreciation of Centeno despite a heavy downpour at the time.
Signs said, “Thank You For Being A Hero In Our Community,” “Mr. Centeno You Will Be Missed,” and “Mr. Centeno Thank You For Your Service.
Students donned rain gear along masks for their special mission.
Centeno joined the Santa Maria Police Department in 1956, and rose through the ranks to become chief in 1980.
He retired in 1989, and then served on the Allan Hancock College board of trustees, before becoming a Santa Maria City Council member, mayor, and then a member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District.
A Cuyama Valley swimming pool was named in honor of Centeno along with the administration building at the county’s Betteravia Government Center in Santa Maria.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.