Donald P. Pittman, K7FK SK Donald Paul Pittman was born in Mulga, AL, on May 3, 1929. He died in Spokane, WA of a subdural hemorrhage at the age of 88 on January 18, 2018. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; father, Elmer; mother, Lois; sister, Doris; and brother, Roger. He is survived by two sisters, Cheryl of Tallahassee, FL and Mary (Gareth) of Abu Dhabi; his four children, Lauri of Spokane; Mark (Glenda) of Ogden, UT; Audri (Don) of Spokane; and Kirk of Issaquah, WA; as well as 12 grandchildren and too many great-grandchildren to count. Don joined the Navy in 1947 and served for more than 22 years. He was stationed aboard the USS Nereus (AS-17) and the USS Threadfin (SS-410). He loved his country and it was difficult for him to retire. He spent a lot of his military career as an instructor and this skill continued into his civilian life where he taught electronics at the trade school and university levels. Don also worked for the DoD for more than 10 years at the MEPS downtown Spokane. He quickly became the region’s resident expert in administering and evaluating ASVAB test results from high school students. This work required him to travel to every high school in the Pacific Northwest each year. During his lifetime, Don earned an undergraduate degree, four master’s degrees, and a PhD. He was a huge advocate of education of any age. Dad had an unusual but infectious sensor of humor. He loved to share stories of his life and make people laugh. If you stopped long enough to listen you were in for a treat. His philosophy on life is legendary! In retirement, Don built and flew extremely detailed remote-controlled airplanes. He mastered building and customizing these planes so quickly that he became admired among his peers to the point he was elected club president multiple times. He won several awards as a club member. Don was an amateur radio operator under the call names W7BQI and K7FK. This hobby was part of both his Navy career and civilian life. Don loved animals, especially horses (Appaloosa) and dogs (German Shepherd). He loved to fish and hunt. A small, private service was held at Heritage Funeral Home in Spokane on January 24, 2018. In lieu of flowers, please donate to SCRAPS Hope Foundation, 6815 E. Trent Avenue, Spokane Valley, WA 99212, (509) 477-2984. https://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/...2613125e9e&CFTOKEN=0&o_id=4599961&fh_id=11479
