PHOTO COURTESY: Cape Cod Fellowship of Reconciliation. Joe DaLuz, (r) , with his wife, Dolores, (l), after receiving the Olive Branch Award
HYANNIS – Friends and family have said goodbye to Joe DaLuz, one of Cape Cod’s most important civil rights leader, who died last week after a long illness.
DaLuz, who served as president of the Cape Cod Chapter of the NAACP for more than 20 years, was 87.
A funeral Mass took place at St. Francis Xavier Church in Hyannis Monday Morning.
For decades, DaLuz was the heart and soul of the Cape Cod civil rights movement, constantly working for change and racial equality in the community.
“Joe was one of the most important persons to come to Cape Cod in terms of the longevity in which he served in the capacity of building inspector and president of the NAACP of Cape Cod,” said John Reed, vice-president of the NAACP of Cape Cod.
According to his obituary, he grew up in Centerville, would later move to New Bedford, and eventually return to Cape Cod where he became the Barnstable building commissioner from 1973-1994.
DaLuz was the first black to serve as a trustee at Cape Cod Community College.
He was also a Hyannis Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, elected member of the Barnstable Housing Authority, member of the Knights of Columbus, a trustee for Cape Cod Hospital and longtime volunteer with the Cape Cod March of Dimes Telerama.
Reed said DaLuz’s legend will continue on Cape Cod for years to come.
“He was a fair person, well liked, and even tempered, but determined to make a change here,” said Reed.
DaLuz had a regular program, NAACP Speaks, on WQRC-FM for many years that addressed various civil rights issues on Cape Cod. He was also instrumental in the development of the Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis.
Reed said one of DaLuz’s lasting contributions is that he provided an opportunity for other people to come to Cape Cod and “be somebody.”
DaLuz is survived by his wife, Dolores, seven children and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
By MATT PITTA, CapeCod.com News Director
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