Dan Tomlinson Elliot

He leaves his wife, Kathy Elliot; his son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Amy Elliot; his son, Scott Elliot; his daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Tedd Padgitt; and his grandchildren, Camryn, Peyton, Teddy and Lily. He is also remembered by other dear family members and countless friends.

Dan was born in Orlando, Florida. The son of Daniel and Annabel Elliot, he grew up with his loving sister, Rachel. Dan and Rachel always got along. Rachel recalls spending an entire hour trying to determine whether a nickel was hers or Dan’s. They settled this debate very civilly (Rachel won). At the age of 16, Dan worked for a local pharmacy, delivering prescriptions to provide money for his family to live on. This is an early example of his devotion to taking care of others.

As a young child, Dan’s dream was to become a pilot. From an early age his mom would drive Rachel and Dan to the airport to watch the planes fly in and out. After graduating from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with a degree in Journalism, his dream of flying was recognized when Dan joined the United States Air Force in 1970. His career in the skies also included flying commercially for PSA and US Airways. Dan retired in 2006 doing what he loved.

In 1971 Dan met his future wife, Kathy, on a blind date while Dan was temporarily stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Kathy’s friend’s husband set them up and a year later they were married. Together, Dan and Kathy had three children. Dan was proud that Christopher became so family-oriented, following in his footsteps of putting others before himself. Scott’s biggest fan was Dan, as he attended and videotaped every single baseball game that Scott ever played in. Dan was so proud of Kimberly’s academic achievements; he was able to watch his only daughter earn her Master’s degree in Education. Dan’s grandchildren were his pride and joy, which gave him his special title, Pepaw. He made trips to Northern California to watch his granddaughter, Camryn, play softball and his grandson, Peyton, practice his martial arts. Living just down the street from his grandson, he spent almost every day taking Teddy to the park, getting frozen yogurt, shopping at Costco, and practicing fencing. Pepaw was beyond excited to learn about his future granddaughter, Lily, due in February of 2017. He made his wife, children, and grandchildren feel loved every day that they were together. They miss him beyond words.

Dan met many people throughout his life and cherished every friendship. He will be remembered as someone that was completely selfless and willing to give anything to serve his family and friends.

The viewing and funeral service will be held from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at the El Cajon Mortuary, 684 S. Mollison Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020.

A military committal service will follow from 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at the Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA, 92122.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family asks that donations in memory of Dan Elliot be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate).