Daniel Tucker, an important leader in the Native American community who was known for being generous and influential, died Friday in El Cajon. He was 73.
“Danny always had a positive attitude, and he made everybody feel good,” said Cody Martinez, chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. “He was a great man.”
Tucker was Martinez’s step uncle and inspired him to get into tribal politics.
“I always looked up to him,” Martinez said. ““He left quite big shoes to fill when I was elected chairman in 2014.”
Tucker served for more than three decades on the tribal council for the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, including four terms as chairman and three terms as vice chair.
