Donald Roy Dewhirst

Donald Roy Dewhirst was born in Selma, California on October 31, 1936 to Roy and Hazel Dewhirst. He was a middle child, having an older sister Lois, and a younger sister Margaret. The family moved to Hanford when Don entered kindergarten and he lived there until he graduated from Hanford Union High School in 1954. His maternal grandparents lived on a large lot in the same block and he could go through his backyard gate to visit them.

In high school he excelled in his math and science classes and at the end of his senior year, Don was offered a scholarship to Fresno State College for his outstanding scholastic achievements in Mathematics, which he accepted. A very sad moment occurred in his freshman year, when his father passed away. Later that year, James Shockley, his Physics Professor, noticed his natural talent for the sciences and strongly encouraged Don to pursue a Major in Physics. After some serious thought, Don took his advice. He was an honor roll student each of his four years and was a member of the college’s chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. In his senior year, a Hughes Aircraft representative came to Fresno State for the purpose of scouting for students with talent and the highest grades in the sciences. Don was interviewed, offered, and accepted a two-year Fellowship to UCLA to obtain a Masters Degree. At the culmination of his studies, he would have a full-time position with Hughes Aircraft Company.

It was also during his college years that he met Bonnie and they married September 7th at the beginning of his senior year. When Don graduated from Fresno State with a Bachelor of Science Degree, he and his new bride left family and familiarity and traveled south to begin a new chapter of their life. In January 1960 Don finished his studies at UCLA, graduating with a Masters in Applied Physics degree, and started at Hughes as a Senior Scientist. Hughes had created a completely new division, an Optics Division, in which he was one of several scientists tasked with discovering and researching practical applications for optics. This area of optics was uncharted territory, and Don commented that when they started working together as a team, all they did was sit around and brainstorm ideas. A pivotal element for the team was the ruby laser as it became a starting point for their future innovations and inventions in this emerging field. He worked with this team for 31 years as they researched and developed laser technology. He has ten patents and his team received many more.

Don and Bonnie shared 68 years of marriage together, and had three children, Stephanie, Brian, and Eric. His family never lacked for necessities nor love. Don was involved in their sports activities, as he co-coached Eric’s AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) team along with Jim Phillips. The league had need of referees, so he volunteered to be one. He created fun family vacations most notably back-packing to the top of Mount Whitney, two and a half months to Alaska, several countries in Europe especially visiting Holland and the second cousins who lived in Hattem. He told scary bedtime stories using a fictional character Step-Thump the pirate. Don loved tennis and had a family membership to West End Tennis Club. One year his whole family participated in the same tennis tournament, (except Eric who was only 4 years old). When his children married, he and Bonnie would yearly spend two weeks at the Indian Wells professional tennis tournament. They even went to Spain and France to attend the Davis Cup. They hiked the Inca Trail in Peru, traveled extensively to countries in Europe and Southeast Asia and others. On their 50th wedding anniversary they took their children and grandchildren on a Disney Cruise and a couple years later on an Alaskan Cruise.

He invested in real estate while he worked at Hughes, and when he took an early retirement in 1989, he worked very hard at keeping his properties well maintained, so much so that when he sold one building his tenants were dismayed. Would their new landlord be so conscientious?

Don could be described as quiet and reserved, yet was at times very witty. He cared deeply that all his family be well taken care of and so he began early in his career to manage his money so that he was able to provide for nearly all the university costs of all six of his grandchildren. He was able to take apart and put back together almost everything, an ability that his sons inherited. His big heart and kind caring will be so greatly missed.

As a child Don was raised by his parents in the Christian faith. As an adult he did not attend church nor acknowledge that there was a personal God. Throughout his life and especially in his final year of life his wife and three children, even grandchildren in the hospital, shared often with him the central Bible message of Jesus Christ’s offer of forgiveness and the promise of heaven. One morning at the hospital, Don greeted Bonnie with “I’m a Believer”. Six days before Don left this earth, Bonnie asked her friend, a nurse at the hospital, if she would say the Sinner’s Prayer with Don if he was in agreement. She did and he audibly prayed to commit his life to Jesus Christ. Our sorrow at losing him at his death is mingled with our assurance that he only preceded us to heaven and we will see him again. “We are so Thankful, Lord Jesus!” With his passing there will be an empty space in our hearts that cannot be filled by anyone but him.

Don is survived by his wife of 68 years, Bonnie. His three children Stephanie (Nate), Brian (Audrey), and Eric (Laurie). His grandchildren Kirsten (Dakota), Brian James, John (Casey), Erika (Noah), Jennifer (Chad), and Zachary. Great Grands; Sloane Kathryn, Jackson Chad and another boy, Duke Kelly, to be born this October and another in the Spring 2026. His sisters Margaret (Ted) and Lois, and his sister in laws, Peggy, Laurice and Janis and many nieces and nephews.