Frederick Louis Gruchalla, 79, of Granada Hills, died Saturday, Aug. 23, in Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles after a brief illness.

He was born July 11, 1946 in Fargo N.D. to Louis and Mary (Hackett) Gruchalla and was raised in Moorhead, Minn., attending schools there and graduating Moorhead High School in 1964.

After graduation, Gruchalla lived in San Diego a short time until his Army service in Vietnam. Gruchalla served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969. He served one year in Vietnam, from July 1967 to July 1968.

When his Army service was completed, he moved to the Los Angeles area, where he remained the rest of his life. He also attended Los Angeles Valley College.

Gruchalla was a jack of all trades. He jumped into anything new that interested him with both feet, whether a career or a hobby. His careers encompassed sales, photography, dance instruction and a street rod shop. He worked as a dance instructor at Cowboy Palace Saloon in Chatsworth from 1994-2017.

His hobbies included photography, golf, singing, learning to play drums and guitar, collecting classic cars and being an emcee/announcer at many events. He competed in Country Western dance, winning awards up to the national level. In 1997, Gruchalla won Salt Lake City’s International World Championship in Country and Western Dancing.

Gruchalla received the 2020-2021 Veteran of the Year Award from the Van Nuys/Reseda Elks Lodge 2790. The award acknowledges Gruchalla’s tireless work with the Eternal Valley Memorial Park’s annual Memorial Day event, honoring veterans who have given their lives in service to the country.

A familiar face throughout the Santa Clarita Valley for his volunteer work, Gruchalla volunteered for numerous nonprofits including the SCV Child & Family Center, passing out wine glasses at the annual Taste of the Town fundraiser. He also announced at the SCV Fourth of July Parade and emceed the main stage at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival.

An advocate for United States military veterans, Gruchalla’s service in the SCV included assistance to the the Veterans Historical Plaza Committee. He was a member of Newhall’s American Legion Post 507 and Canyon Country’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6885.

He served on the board of directors for the Pacoima Veterans Day Memorial event and volunteered at the Sepulveda VA Medical Center.

Gruchalla was proud of his military service. He was active in the VFW and was instrumental in the creation of a Veteran’s Memorial Wall at the Eternal Valley Cemetery in Newhall. He was also active in the Elks club.

He was from a large family, the oldest of 10 children. He also had a very large group of friends that became family to him. He is already missed by many.

Gruchalla is survived by siblings Richard (Carrin) of Duluth, Minn., Mike (Pam) of Mapleton, N.D., Virginia Hilkemeier of Prescott, Ariz., Charlie of Walcott, N.D., Gordy (Sue) of Sabin, Minn., Paul of Fargo, N.D., Joel (Donna) of Fargo, N.D., Kurt (Lavonne) of Monroe, Wash., brother-in-law Jerry Murphy of Billings, Mont. and several nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister MaryLou Murphy.

Inurnment will be at Eternal Valley Cemetery, Newhall at a later date along with a Celebration of Life at an as of yet undetermined location.

There will be a family Celebration in Minnesota at a later date.

Memorials are preferred to a veteran’s organization of your choice or a pet rescue center.

For more about Gruchalla’s life and his military service visit https://signalscv.com/2018/02/fred-gruchalla-vietnam-veteran-granada-hills-resident/.

Volunteer Fred Gruchalla hands out wine glasses at the Child & Family Center Taste of the Town fundraiser in 2017. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

A May 2024 photo when Fred Gruchalla received a certificate of recognition from the Santa Clarita Valley Veterans Memorial Committee for his 15 years of service on the committee.