THOMAS ARNESON DARDIS

Dardis, Thomas Arneson, of Fountain Valley, CA, died of a heart attack at his home on January 29, 2015. He was 71. "Tad" Dardis, as he was known to his family and close friends, was the son of the late Thomas S. Dardis and Esther O. Dardis of San Jose, CA. Tad was born in Great Falls, MT on April 28, 1943. He was an exceptional student as a child and young man and had a particular gift for math, science, art and music. Tad earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA in 1965 and earned his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1972. He was subsequently accepted into Stanford University Medical School, but at the urging of his wife and upon further consideration, chose to begin his career. He ultimately became a successful scientist and engineer in the aerospace industry for more than 30 years.

Tad met his high school sweetheart, Pamela Jo Dardis, at Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, CA and they were married on December 20, 1964. Pam and Tad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year. Tad is survived by his wife, Pam and their three children and spouses: his son and daughter-in-law, David Dardis and Jennifer Dardis of Baltimore, MD; his daughter and son-in-law, Amanda Jackson (nee Dardis) and Luke Jackson of Orem, UT; and his daughter, Danielle Dardis of Huntington Beach, CA. He is also survived by his three grandchildren, Dillon Dardis (7), Riley Dardis (5) and Wren Jackson (1). Tad was the oldest of five children and his four siblings survive him: Susan Dardis of Redmond, Oregon; Robert Dardis of Felton, CA; William Dardis of Midway, UT; and Peter Dardis of San Francisco, CA.

Above all else, Tad was devoted to his family and was selfless in providing for his wife and children. He also gave generously of his time volunteering innumerable hours to several organizations including Fountain Valley High School Booster Clubs, Fountain Valley Youth Baseball, Indian Princesses, Boy Scouts of America, and the Richard M. Riggs Memorial Choir. Tad was physically active - committed and passionate about his exercise, especially biking and running. He was also fond of his pets, which included at least one stray cat and several dogs that he cherished. Both at work and in retirement, Tad found great satisfaction in solving challenging, technical problems. In recent years, he could often be found fixing cars and working on home improvement projects to satisfy this interest. He could fix just about anything, if not on the first try, then the second or third.

A memorial service celebrating Tad's life will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at 1:00 p.m. at Calvary Chapel Beachside, located at 19400 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Orange County SPCA, http://orangecountyspca.org/donate/.