Former City of Coachella City Manager Bruce Daniels passed away on May 5th after a brief illness. He was 82.

Daniels served as City Manager during the early 1990's and helped guide the city through many transformative projects.

Daniels obtained funding for the Avenue 52 and 50 bridge that serves the industrial park, as well as funding for the Highway 86 Expressway. He participated in the General Plan Amendment, the development of the entertainment district, the "Spotlight 29" Indian Casino development.

His leadership brought infrastructure improvements to the police station, the police dispatch system, the voter-approved fire assessment district. He facilitated the sale of 100 acres for agricultural cold storage facilities.

Daniels had dedicated his life to public service, starting in Washington, D.C. with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He later moved west working for HUD in Los Angeles and then moved on to Riverside County serving as Director of Housing and Community Development. Following a period of time as Economic Development Specialist for the City of Big Bear Lake, he took the position of Coachella City Manager.

In later years Daniels worked as a private consultant, lending his expertise to projects that reflected his deep love for community, his love for nature, and his passion for the sport of soccer. He managed the City of Lancaster Soccer Center and later the City of San Bernardino Soccer Center. For many years he was a youth soccer coach and a referee.

Daniels is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Suzanne; his sons Thomas and Scott; his brothers John and Curtis; his sister Marie; and three grandchildren. His legacy of service, passion and community spirit will live on in the lives he touched and places he helped shape.