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12/31/2022 - Vista, California, USA

Thomas Bandurraga, Jr., a retired U.S. Navy LCDR, died on Dec. 31, 2022 at the age of 93 at Vista Gardens Memory Care in Vista, California. He had primarily resided in Mira Mesa, CA since 1971. His grieving widow is B. (Barbara) Christina Conrad of Escondido, CA.

Tom liked telling jokes and stories about his past, and he read books until the end of his life. He was fascinated with U.S. military history, U.S. history, presidents and old movie stars. Christina recalls one of Tom's favorite quotes, from Winston Churchill on June 4, 1940: ""We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them in the hills, we shall fight them in the fields, we shall fight them in the seas and oceans. But we will never surrender our Empire and in the end we will say: This was our finest hour.""

Tom was born on March 23, 1929 in Los Angeles, California, the son of Thomas Macario and Virginia Mae (Wells) Bandurraga. His Bandurraga ancestors were Basques who emigrated as sheepherders from the Pyrenees Mountains in northeast Spain to Tucson, AZ in the 1880's. His mom's parents emigrated from England and Germany. Tom graduated from John C. Fremont High School in L.A. in 1947. He went to UCLA, joining NROTC in 1948. He ran cross country and track at UCLA, and graduated in accounting in 1952.

Tom's first marriage was to Priscilla M. Deming on August 29, 1950. He is survived by their 3 children Charlene C. Bandurraga (Doug Hole) of Cincinnati, OH; Maury M. Bandurraga (Joe Dapkins) of Brevard, NC; and T. M. (Mark) Bandurraga III of Santa Barbara, CA. After Tom and Priscilla's divorce in 1964, Tom married Dee A. Clothier in San Diego, CA., divorcing in 1973. He is also survived by their daughter Shawnlei F. (Steve) Breeding of Winter Park, FL. Tom was very proud of his country, his educated, self-sufficient children, and his grandchildren: Melanie D. (Jason) McGoldrick of Manhattan, IL.; Jeffrey A. Dapkins of Brevard, NC; Mark J. Dapkins of Ann Arbor, MI; great-grandchildren Jeremy R. McGoldrick of Las Vegas, NV; Malia L. McGoldrick, Gavin M. McGoldrick and great-great-grandchild Malani A. Saragosa of Manhattan, IL. He joked that their brains and athletic abilities came from his genes! Tom also married and divorced Karen L. Davis, then married and divorced Helen Dabbs, then was wed to Sandra J. Klindera from 1988 until Sandy's death on Oct. 3, 2008. He married B. Christina Conrad in Las Vegas, NV on Feb. 10, 2010. After his health declined these past 2 years, Christina visited him faithfully at Vista Gardens Memory Care, made sure he was well cared for, and brought him treats, clothes and supplies. He always enjoyed and appreciated her visits.

Tom first served as an officer during the Korean conflict on Navy destroyer USS Henry Powell DD-213 in 1952, then USS Knudson DE-591 and APD-101. He was on the USS Hornet aircraft carrier in Coronado in 1956, then a Frogman on the Underwater Demolition Team (now SEALs). Tom became a pilot and navigator on Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft during the Cold War, then, as a Lieutenant Commander, mainly flew cargo and personnel planes during the Vietnam War. His stations included Coronado, CA; Pensacola, FL; Corpus Christie, TX; Barber's Point, HI; Iwakuni, Japan; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Norfolk Naval Air Station, VA. Tom retired in 1972 after 20 years of service to his country. He was proud that during his Naval career, ""I always brought my crew home safely.""

In retirement, Tom enjoyed dancing and hiking, building and fixing things at his Mira Mesa home, writing letters to the editor and Congressmen, and running or walking several miles a day around Lake Miramar until his late 80's. He played tennis for much of his life, was highly ranked on the Navy's Pacific Tennis team, ran many road races and won some marathons for his age group in older years. In younger years he took his family on several cross-country trips with a pop-up tent trailer. (Picture Tom, his wife, 4 children from 3 months to 15 years old, and an Irish setter in a 1965 Mustang!)

Tom's sister Dolores V. (Wells) Paul and his parents preceded him in death. Tom's celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 2 p.m. at San Marcos SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) Church, 363 Woodland Parkway, CA 92069. His ashes will be interred at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery on May 1 at 11:30 a.m. The family suggests memorial donations to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 212 W. Mission Ave., San Marcos, CA. 92069, vfwpost3795.org.
-- By Charlene C. Bandurraga, with thanks to Christina, our family & Don for their help

(published by San Diego Union-Tribune, Legacy.com on Jan. 15, 2023)

Goian Bego (GB) - May Rest in Peace