https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/09/24/history-san-jose-honoring-rod-diridon-sr-at-october-fundraiser/

Rod Diridon Sr. has worn plenty of hats in his 83 years: he served two combat tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy, worked as a junior executive with Lockheed, started his own research polling firm and spent 20 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors before his retirement in 1994.

But the hat he’s probably most associated with is a train engineer’s cap, as he’s known as both the “father of modern transit” in Silicon Valley and a huge historic railroad buff. For both these reasons — as well as the rest — History San Jose is honoring Diridon at its Valley of Heart’s Delight: Down by the Station fundraiser on Oct. 6 at History Park.