Donald E. Hoard

Donald E. Hoard, beloved father, father-in-law, and grandfather, a Los Alamos resident for nearly sixty years, passed away peacefully on July 30th at his home, with family at his side. The date of his passing coincided with the birthdate of his late wife Dorothy Hoard.

Donald Ellsworth Hoard was born on April 14th, 1928 in Seattle, to Bertha May (Smith) and George Lisle Hoard. Following graduation from Seattle Lincoln High School in 1946, he served in the United States Army before starting his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Washington. After receiving his bachelor's degree, he continued his education at the University of California, where he received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1954, and in the process, met his life partner of over fifty years, Dorothy Goetz. Donald and Dorothy married that same year and remained married until her passing in 2014. He took a post-doctoral position at Cal Tech, and on its completion, joined the Pabst Brewing Company in Milwaukee as a research chemist. He and Dorothy moved their growing family to Los Alamos in 1963, making it their home. He worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the remainder of his career until his retirement in 1998.

Don suffered a near-fatal auto accident right after receiving his Ph.D. that left him with a shattered leg and permanently impaired mobility. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, he soldiered right through, even joining his family on a hike across the Grand Canyon, among other adventures. Don loved to travel and made several trips to Europe with the Los Alamos Choral Society, to which he contributed as a tenor for many years. He also loved contract bridge and was a Bronze Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League. His professional affiliations included memberships in the American Association for Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, and the American Chemical Society.

Surviving family include four children and their families: Emily (Hoard) Johnson (husband Bill) of Los Alamos; Robin Hoard (wife Oksana) of Evergreen, Colorado; Allison (Hoard) DeForest (husband Chris) of Kutztown, Pennsylvania; and Matthew of Albuquerque. He also leaves six grandchildren. His daughter Leslie and brother Ronald preceded him in death.

His family lovingly remembers him as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Don had an even-tempered disposition and was always kind to everyone. He had a phenomenal breadth of knowledge and an amazing memory. He was always happy to share all he knew with anyone who asked. Don's favorite jokes became family lore and are cheerfully quoted on every appropriate occasion. He will always be loved and remembered.

The family of Donald Hoard have entrusted his mortal remains to DeVargas Funeral Home of Española. Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Alzheimer's Association, web site www.alz.org, or to a charity of the donor's choice.