SFC Ret. Edward Lapitan "Doc" Dacayanan Jr.

Jan. 12, 1966 - Feb. 3, 2007

SFC (Ret.) Edward Lapitan "Doc" Dacayanan, Jr., passed away Feb. 3, 2007 in Bagram, Afghanistan. He was working as a civilian contractor after having recently retired from the US Army. He was 41.

Eddie was born in San Francisco on Jan. 12, 1966. He played high school football, attending Lincoln High School in San Francisco before his family moved to Vallejo, where he graduated from Vallejo High School in 1984. He joined the Army right after graduation and served for 21 years.

Known as Doc to his fellow soldiers, he completed tours in Germany, Korea, and Iraq, and several assignments in the United States, including Ft. Lewis, Washington, Ft. Riley, Kansas, and Ft. Hood, Texas, where he was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the end of his tour he retired with an honorable discharge in 2005 with a final position of Platoon Sergeant, then worked as a civilian wheel mechanic at several locations, the last being in Afghanistan.

Doc married Vanessa Howard on July 16, 1991. A devoted father and husband, always involved in his children's lives, he made sure he attended every game and concert. Though he settled his family in Killeen, Texas, he remained a SF 49ers fan. He had a passion for cars, which led him to start restoring his second love: his 1981 Firebird Trans-Am.

He is survived by his wife Vanessa Dacayanan and two sons, Marquis and Giovanni; his mother Eliza Dacayanan, sister Elsa Dacayanan Bagnol, nephew Jeremy Bagnol and niece Allison Bagnol; half-brothers, Mike and James Dacayanan; uncles, Fedelino and Greg Velarde; aunts, Emelia Lecitona, Francesca Cajulao, Zenaida Basto, Arcenia Cagampan, and Nemesia Dacayanan; cousins, Eugene and Arlene Cajulao, Kathie Reyes, Bela Tuazon, Jocelyn Dominguez, and Isagani Velarde, and many more aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins in the Bay Area.

He was preceded in death by his father Edward Sr. and infant son Angelo Lamar Dacayanan.

Eddie was laid to rest with full military honors on Feb. 16, 2007 at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery. His family will hold a local memorial to celebrate his life at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007 at his sister's residence in Vallejo. For details, call Elsa at (707) 552-7228.