Dad was born in Missoula, Montana on April 7, 1922, to Mary Jane “Jenny” Owens and Carl Leonard O’Loughlin. As the eldest of seven children, he learned the importance of family and responsibility at an early age. His parents raised him to be a faithful Catholic and a man of character.
He began his collegiate career at the University of Montana, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. From there he moved to Seattle Washington where he worked at Boeing, and enrolled at Seattle University in 1941. While attending Seattle University, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enrolled in the V-12 program for Officer Commissioning. He transferred to Gonzaga University and was ordered to Harvard Business School in 1944. He was commissioned in the Navy on August 15, 1944. Dad’s career as a Naval Supply Corp Officer spanned 30 years and was a veteran of WW ll, where he served in the South Pacific on the Destroyer Escort USS Lake, DE-301. During that time, he survived the Navy’s worst non-combat loss of the war. It was to become known as “Halsey’s Typhoon”. Occurring in the South China Sea in December 1944, 3 Ships, the Hull, Spence, and Monahan were lost with all hands. His service continued through the Korean and Vietnam wars.
During his years of service he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Presidential Management Improvement Award, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal w/Bronze Star, the Korean Service Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, & the United Nations Service Medal.
He attended the Naval War College in Newport, RI. graduating with honors and the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA.
Dad married our Mother, Carolyn Colleen Knutsen, whom he met at a Naval Supply Depot picnic in Spokane, WA on April 12, 1947. Together they lovingly raised three children and were married until her death on December 2, 2001.
In his later years, he enjoyed a wonderful friendship with Sally Bryan who pre-deceased him. Together they had many friends at the American Legion Post 137 and the Society of 40/8.
Dad is pre-deceased by his parents, four of his siblings, Kay Dumont, Jim O’Loughlin, Jack O’Loughlin, and Florence Sinclair. He is survived by his children Christine O’Loughlin Ray, Dorothy Waggoner (Bob), and John O’Loughlin (Julie), his siblings, Mary Jane Preuninger, Joseph O’Loughlin (Margy), his grandchildren Jeremy Hartin (Geraldine), Sarah Seise (Sam), Zachary, Spencer, Rose and Delaney Waggoner, Hailey O’Loughlin, his great grandchildren destiny and Helena Hartin and Emma Seise.
Dad will be remembered fondly as, “Dude”, “Beanpa”, “Poppa” and “Uncle Dick”. He was patriarch of a large extended family he loved and by whom he was loved and respected. Most notably, he considered Kerry Springer, Tammy Baldassarre and Donnie & Kim Wilmoth to be his adopted children.
“May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong, and may you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you’re dead.”
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Wounded Warrior Project of Jacksonville.
Service arrangements have been entrusted to Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home located at 5733 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32244, where a public visitation will be held Thursday, March 6, from 7:00-8:30 PM. Funeral services will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Friday March 7, 2014 at 11 AM, followed by interment at 1 PM at Jacksonville Memory Gardens.
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