After her husband Edward passed away in 1996, Deolinda Dutra established the Edward Dutra scholarships at Rio Vista High School and at the Portuguese Historical & Cultural Society. It was a living tribute to him and to their shared passion for community support and for providing opportunities for higher education. Over the years, Ed and Linda donated to the elementary schools and the high school in Rio Vista – even donating the first computers that the high school had ever used. The Dutras were kindhearted people who gave discreetly and without a lot of attention drawn to themselves. Though they were both intelligent, resourceful people, Edward and Deolinda never had the opportunity to pursue higher education, and both of them truly enjoyed imparting the gift of education to others. After Deolinda’s passing in 2003, the Dutra family created the Deolinda Dutra scholarship and took over the funding of both grants in remembrance of the couple’s hard work and generosity.
Supporting education is a Dutra family tradition. One of the early relatives established a school on his Yolo County ranch in the 1870s, providing a means of education for his own children and the other youngsters in the community. Our scholarships are meant to provide hope and opportunity to those who may not otherwise have the chance to better themselves through the college experience.
