Donald "Don" L. Ochoa

Donald L. Ochoa was a man who was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Don was normally modest in his actions, but that spontaneity sometimes led him to do offbeat things like rent a large schooner on a business trip in Hawaii for the fishing trip of a lifetime. He was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied; he wasn't pushy. When Don said something, he meant it. He was literal in his thoughts and in the manner in which he communicated with others, though he was sometimes reserved in expressing his real opinions. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.

Don was born on February 24, 1969 at Denver General Hospital in Denver Colorado. His parents were Jim and Diane Ochoa. Don was raised in LIttleton, Colorado. Even as a small child, Don wanted to understand how things worked and frequently tore apart his mechanical toys; he was a tinkerer. As Don grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and he would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you were in need. Despite his natural shyness; he enjoyed a solid group of friends at work and during leisure time.

Don sought to treat those around him with respect and sought to avoid confrontations if possible. He was definitely a lover not a fighter and he would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Don was raised with two siblings. He had one older sister by two years, Denise and one older brother by 7 years, Dave. He was very close to his sister Denise and they talked almost everyday right through adulthood. Their best talks were in early morning hours before anyone else got up and they were able to discuss any and every topic including those most difficult emotional and personal ones. He also provided his brother Dave a home for many years and they were always up for a good time. Don was constantly involved in activities with Dave while he lived close by. Don and his siblings had the typical rivalries, but they shared many life experiences and he would say he learned a lot from his older sister and brother.

During his childhood, family and friends viewed Don as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm demeanor. In fact, he was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Don’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved absorbing all the sensory input that mechanical and electrical things could provide. He took part in baseball and football. In his spare time he liked tinkering with appliances to see how they worked, exploring the city, and hanging out with his brother Dave, playing with remote controlled cars and trucks. Donald's memorable achievements included rigging up the rotary phone to ring wherever he was so his Mom, who worked long hours, would think he was home.

The fact that he was curious was an asset to Don while he was in school. He possessed good concentration and relished the task of scrutinizing technical problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them; unfortunately those problems usually didn't involve school subjects! Don enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of problem solving that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. Experience was Don’s best teacher. He graduated from Littleton High School in 1987. Don spent a lot of time reading science, computer and technical magazines, firmly establishing himself as tech savvy. Don was also on the championship High School bowling team.

Those who didn’t know Don well might have thought him to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to him knew that he was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Don liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. Don was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding his true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. Another quality that people admired in Don was his ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in his assessment of any new situation. While growing up, his best friend was Wayne Peterson and he always kept in touch with Wendy Tharp. In the Navy his best friend was Matt Kostka and that friendship brought him from California to Colorado. Once he started his career as a defense contractor specializing in software test engineering, he had a tight knit group of friends including Tracy McCorkle, Billy Morrissey, Carl Holden, Manny Collado, Pete Lamatsch, Terry Howard and Mike Faust. Terry was always like a second father to Don. In later life, friends included Preston Hayden, Bob Book and Chuck Bazzy.

This same loyalty Don shared with his friends carried over to other aspects of his life, including his relationships with his family. Don was married twice, once in the Navy and a second marriage, years later, to Erica J. DiProfio. Don and Erica married 18 August 2006 after a 9 year courtship. They married at a friend's house Colorado Springs CO with many family and friends present. They loved each other deeply and even though in later years they lived in separate houses, they maintained a close relationship. He was a great listener who enjoyed the couple’s “together” time, especially when it came to celebrating special occasions.

Don was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Don was blessed with two children, Marissa Lynne and Anthony William. Don was never impulsive in dealing with family problems, but would spontaneously and quite often take the kids to the park or to feed the geese. He was an avid photographer and chronicled their childhoods extensively. Don was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved. At the same time, Don’s inventive nature could turn some of the boring old household chores into a fun activity for the family. In later years Don and his son spent a lot of time at his house playing computer games and pool and he could quite often be found with both Marissa and Anthony introducing them to an "oldie but goodie" movie from the 80s and 90s. Those kids got a good appreciation for music and film from their Papa.

In his work life, Don was the kind of person who had no issue in taking on a difficult problem and troubleshooting until he found a root cause; in fact he was often called in to identify the quickest resolution to a test writeup. He excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, plowing full steam ahead understanding complex relationships and simplifying them. For Don, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, Don was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and he would readily use them if they improved the process; but Don did not tolerate a fool. His primary occupation was a software test engineer working on the systems providing CONUS Missile Warning capabilities. He was employed by several defense contractors as contracts changed over the years. Don also worked in the wafer rooms at Intel in Oregon for a short while. Don always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Donald was a Navy veteran. He understood his duty to serve his country and the importance of getting a job done. He was comfortable with the routines of the military and even liked them to some degree, especially when it came to grasping the clear instructions and guidelines he was expected to follow. He was in Pearl Harbor Hawaii serving on the USS Pintado (SSN-672) as a sonar advanced maintenance technician when he separated. Don saw action for the Gulf War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Petty Officer Second Class (STS2). He received several awards including a National Defense Service medal, 1st Good Conduct medal, 2nd Sea Service Deployment ribbon, Navy Expeditionary ribbon and Expert Pistol ribbon. Don was deeply proud of his military career and so proud to be a Navy veteran.

Don’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced his choice of leisure pursuits as well. He applied his strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to his choice of activities. He particularly enjoyed the “alone” time his hobbies provided. Don had many many hobbies including a love for airplanes, computers and any beta gadget he could get his hands on, listening to music, playing instruments, pool and darts.

Don had the ability to stay calm and the determination to do what was necessary to get the job finished, traits that helped him enjoy sports. Recreational sports included golf and golf video games, but mostly he was known as an excellent bowler with thousands of strikes and a top score of 297. Don was also something of a sports fan and as long as he was surrounded by friends, enjoyed attending his favorite events or viewing on TV whenever he got the opportunity.

If Don believed in a cause or an idea, he was willing to work hard on its behalf. Don assisted quite a few local taverns and bars set up audio visual capabilities, and helped keep their computers up to date. Politically, Donald was conservative.

Don appreciated the occasions when he was able to travel and get away on a vacation. He enjoyed learning about different locales and was open to exploring new and different places. Favorite vacation spots included Favorite vacations included visiting family in New Hampshire and Wyoming, trips to Oregon and a very memorable Las Vegas New Years Eve trip. He thoroughly enjoyed the task of gathering and analyzing travel information as he prepared for an upcoming trip.

Don owned animals throughout his life. One of Don’s favorites was Don's favorite pet was Nate, a mutt found on the side of the road on an Indian reservation in Arizona. They were best friends for 6 years; he loved that dog. Don had many other dogs and cats throughout the years, that he tolerated very well for his wife and kids:), but his real love was for fish, reptiles and amphibians.

Don always wanted to retire new the ocean and live on a beach with his feet in the sand and a drink in his hand.

Don passed away on April 7, 2023 at Memorial Central in Colorado Springs Colorado. Donald struggled with alcoholism and lived a full nine lives surviving a liver transplant, hepatic artery failure, MRSA infection resulting in heart valve replacement, numerous bouts of pancreatitis, diabetes, and chronic kidney failure. He is survived by Erica Ochoa, his wife and two children Marissa and Anthony, his sister Denise Randall and her husband, Jim and their son Michael Allen. Services were held at Mountain View Mortuary. Donald was laid to rest in the Pikes Peak National Cemetery with full military honors.

Don strongly believed that talk is cheap. He was the type of person who would show others his feelings through his actions. He was practical and realistic but was able to be flexible when the need arose. He had a curiosity about the things around him and tried to experience life directly rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences he treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. Donald L. Ochoa will be greatly missed.

A memorial service for Don and Dave will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 3:00 PM at Swan Law Funeral Directors, 501 N Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Donald's memory may be made to Parker Project | Valley Hope | Support Recovery Nationwide, US, valleyhope.org/parker-project.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MtViewMortuary.com for the Ochoa family.