Chester "Bud" William Hicks Jr.

Bud was born in Moline, Illinois spending his early years in Des Moines, Iowa. He moved to Garden Grove, California in 1954 with his parents, Chester and Helen, and two sisters, Gail and Sharon.

At Rancho Alamitos High School, Bud played varsity football. He was Master Counselor for De Molay and his future bride, Donna, was his De Molay Sweetheart. He graduated in 1958 and attended Long Beach State for one year.

Bud was a hard worker. His first job, at age 13, was packing worms at a worm farm. He then moved on to washing trucks for 25 cents each, 25-30 trucks every Saturday. In high school, he followed in his father's footsteps and worked for a plumbing company. Upon graduation, he apprenticed and joined the Plumbers Union, earning $1.80/hour. He attended night school to become a journeyman plumber.

In 1976, he co-founded Golden West Plumbing. For the next 23 years, the company plumbed 30,000 new homes in California. They did pro bono work for the Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity in Orange County. Bud served on the advisory boards for South Coast National Bank, Orange National Bank, and plumbing manufacturers.

Bud was happily married to his high school sweetheart, Donna McCollum for 54 years. the family they created; Kerri Seymour, Garrett Hicks (Gerry Gorospe) and Bethany Bovio (Mike) shared many happy times. Their grandchildren, Gwen and Grace Seymour, Blake, Caleb, and AJ Heffner provided enrichment and joy.

While Bud kept busy with many projects, his favorite hobby was raising thoroughbred horses. His favorite horse, Alybobbob, was the Los Alamitos Horse of the Year in 1998/1999.

Cars were a passion for Bud. His first car, a 1946 black Chevy Fleetside, was purchased for $265. His parents gave him his dream car at high school graduation - a 1957 sea foam green and white Chevy 150 Coup. Among Bud's cars through the years were a few corvettes, a classic truck, and the convertible Porsche Boxster he got for his 80th birthday. On any given Sunday, Bud could be found at a car show.

The California Angels baseball team was another passion for Bud. He had season tickets for 30 years and shared the experience with many family members and friends through the years. Bud and Donna also enjoyed performances at Orange County Performing Arts Center and South Coast Repertory.

Bud was devastated when Donna passed away in 2015. Their mutual high school friend, Nancy Ota was widowed just days after Donna's passing. In 2017 Nancy and Bud were married and joined Bud's family with Nancy's: Michele Ota, Chris and Peony Ota (their two children Isabel and Alexander). The couple enjoyed traveling 50 countries together. The highlight of their cruises was when both families traveled together.

Bud enjoyed helping others and contributed to many philanthropic organizations. Some of his favorites were the American Cancer and Heart Associations, Planned Parenthood, and Habitat for Humanity.

All services for Chester "Bud" William Hicks Jr. will be held here at Fairhaven Memorial Park and Mortuary, 1702 E. Fairhaven Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Visitation 4PM-8PM June 18, 2021, and a memorial service 10AM June 19, 2021, burial following.